Confessions of Two Hearts
by doggieearlover
Summary: A collection of InuYasha/Kagome centered drabbles and oneshots that result from challenge communities, mostly from LiveJournal though the first is from deviantART. Each piece will include the community as well as the challenge theme.
1. Reminders on the Wind

**Disclaimers**: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi.

**AN:** Written for and First Place Winner of the "Windy Day" contest at the Forever-Mine Club at deviantART. The only criteria were to use the prompt "A Windy Day" and that it feature InuYasha & Kagome. It is primarily for fanart, but fanfiction can enter as well.

Thanks so much to both inufan625 and Knittingknots for their suggestions.

**Spoilers**: Manga chapters 494 and then 513 forward.

**Reminders on the Wind**

Kagome couldn't help but to stare at InuYasha. She wondered if he had any idea of just how beautiful he was to her. He was standing up on the cliff that overlooked the calm area of the river where the villagers often bathed. The wind had kicked up, and it lifted his heavy mane so that it flowed behind him. Recent events heavy on her mind, she silently joined him. Turning her face into the wind, she let it flow over her, around her.

"What are you thinking about?" she finally asked quietly.

"The wind," InuYasha replied simply.

"And?" Kagome prompted.

The hanyou turned to look at her. "Miroku, Kagura, and you."

"The wind makes you think of all that?" she questioned.

He nodded and turned away from the cliff, walking with Kagome alongside him. "I was thinking about how much destruction it could cause. We knew what Miroku's kazaana could do under his control, but after he absorbed the poison of Magatsuhi, and it started to rip, I thought the whole village would be destroyed. And then you managed to break free. You saved us all, you know, again. You broke your seal and purged the poison from Miroku's system and halted the tear in his wind tunnel in the process."

Kagome blushed. "I… I… I had to do something. I felt so… helpless… I couldn't even purify Kohaku's shard. And then we come back to find all of that. Magatsuhi is a coward, just like Naraku, isn't he? I mean he sealed my powers completely, so I'd be useless. Then he waited until you were with me in my time, and Sesshomaru was off chasing after him elsewhere to take possession of Kohaku. Sango was hurt, Miroku was going to die, and even little Rin had been injured. I couldn't remember ever having felt so angry."

"I can remember at least one other time," InuYasha offered. "Remember when Naraku tricked Sango into stealing Tessaiga and promised to give Kohaku back to her in exchange? You saved us all then, too."

Kagome looked up to meet his eyes. "I _was_ mad, wasn't I? I mean at the way he used Sango and then tried to poison us all with his miasma. At the time all I could think of was that I'd missed him, and he got away. I didn't really look at what I'd actually done." They walked in silence before Kagome asked, "What makes you think of Kagura now?"

"I don't know. I guess it was a combination of the wind and thinking about how Naraku uses everyone around him, and how they're all disposable to him. I was also thinking about when Kagura tricked Kouga into attacking me, and he shattered my arm, and they thought I was dead, but when you were threatened, I managed to find the strength to continue to fight. That made me think of the other times I've felt stronger because you were near. And then I thought about how Naraku set Kagura free and killed her, and Sesshomaru found her before she died. That reminded me of the times I was afraid I might die without ever having told you how I felt."

"InuYasha," Kagome whispered as she took his hand. "I meant it when I said I'd always be with you."

"And I told you that I'd protect you with my life, but did you understand what I was trying to say?" the hanyou asked, squeezing her hand.

Kagome looked up and studied his face. "My brother has the worst timing, doesn't he? He had to barge in just then."

The hanyou only nodded as he leaned over to softly kiss her. "I've wanted so badly to do that."

"Me, too," Kagome responded, wrapping her hands in his forelocks and pulling his face back to hers.

Their lips slipped and slid around each other until they found a comfortable position. InuYasha folded the miko into his arms. When they finally had to pull apart for air, she wrapped her arms around him and allowed him to simply hold her. He rested his head on top of hers as they stood together with him gently rubbing her back.

Kagome's voice was muffled as she spoke, the side of her face still pressed against his chest, "Were you trying to tell me that you loved me?"

InuYasha was never good with words, so instead of answering verbally he squeezed her a little more tightly.

"Can I take that as a yes'?"

The hanyou cupped her chin in his hand and tipped her head up, so she could see him. He nodded in response.

"I love you, too," Kagome whispered as they heard another voice carried to them on the wind. "I'll take it back; Shippou has worse timing than Souta."

"At least, if anything happens to me…" InuYasha's voice trailed away.

The miko met his eyes. "Thank you, InuYasha. It means more to me than you can know. And nothing is going to happen to you. Naraku still doesn't have that last shard. As long as we're together, I don't think he has a chance."

After giving her one last soft kiss, he said, "Come on. We'd better go before the runt finds us."

Kagome nodded, and they headed back towards the others. As they walked in silence, InuYasha thought that with their combined determination, maybe they finally had the strength they needed to defeat Naraku. No, now that Kagome had managed to break the seal on her spiritual powers, he was certain that they could do it. He felt the wind pick his hair up again and Kagome take his hand in hers. He looked at her and allowed a small smile to grace his lips. It was funny how a simple force of nature could bring so many reminders of the past and what was yet to be done. As they approached the others, he noticed that his brother was there staring off into the distance. How things had changed now that they were civil to one another.

"What do you think he's thinking about?" Kagome asked.

"Dunno," the hanyou answered, wondering the same thing himself.

Sesshomaru had closed his eyes as the wind gently caressed him, ruffling the mokomokosama so that it tickled his chin as it lifted his white tresses with its current. _As I promised, Kagura, your death will not_ _have been_ _in vain.'_

He listened to the whispers that floated on the breeze for a few more minutes before he rejoined the others. It was funny how a few gusts could reunite everyone in a common goal. The destruction of Naraku was written in the winds. Though not in body, Kagura's spirit would be there to witness it. A windy day had been a good idea to blow everyone in the right direction. As Sesshomaru stopped to speak to his brother and the miko, the currents of air actually smiled.

**oo0oo**

**End Note:** This is based heavily on recent manga chapters, including the spoiler preview for Chapter 522 that is to be out this week. This is sheer speculation on what might happen after this week's chapter, which is why it is labeled as a divergence since we don't know what will happen - yet. For InuYasha manga chapters available online check out adinuyasha (dot) com .


	2. When All Else Fails, Just Stare 'em Down

Written for the FirstTweak community at LiveJournal.

Minimum word count: 301

Week 1 prompt: Race Relations

**Title**: When All Else Fails, Just Stare 'em Down

**Rating**: G

**Genre**: Romance, Canon  
**Pairing**: InuYasha/Kagome  
**Warnings**: Spoiler Manga chapter 520

**Word Count**: 1113  
**Summary**: InuYasha gets more than he bargained for from a ride on the subway

**When All Else Fails, Just Stare 'em Down**

InuYasha was trying to figure out how in the hell he had gotten himself into this position. No - he wasn't battling Naraku or trading insults with his brother. He wasn't even watching Miroku get slapped by Sango for the tenth time in a day or listening to the non-stop chatter of Shippou. No - somehow, he'd let himself be dragged onto a subway car with Kagome.

They were back in Kagome's era. After the crazy incident with the train and her book bag, back when she was going to take her high school entrance exam, she'd convinced him that he needed to ride in the subway car instead of on top of it so that he could see why he couldn't just attack it and slice the car open with Tessaiga. She'd even made him leave his sword at home so he wouldn't be tempted.

It was a good thing that she had.

The hanyou couldn't decide what was more annoying – the other riders on the car who stared at him blatantly or the same ones who looked up at the ceiling and pretended to be innocent of any such thing when he glared back at them. When they thought he wasn't paying attention, they just sat and looked at him, like he was on exhibit or something.

He wondered if anyone had ever done that to him when he was pinned to the tree.

InuYasha looked down at himself and was thinking that he'd be staring, too. He felt so out of place in the loose-fitting jeans, Rugby shirt, and sandals that Kagome had produced from somewhere for him to wear. While he did understand why he had the bandana tied over his ears, he didn't understand why he wasn't allowed to wear his firerat and hakama. It was bad enough that she made him leave Tessaiga back at the shrine. He couldn't help but to growl softly under his breath.

Kagome squeezed his hand. "We can get off at the next stop, all right?" she said softly. She didn't say his name since she didn't want to attract even more attention than he was already getting.

InuYasha nodded and closed his eyes. He regretted that he couldn't shut off his nose as well to all of the smells trapped in the car with them. He wished he did have Tessaiga so he could open the roof and let some fresh air in. He couldn't wait to get off of the train.

The car slowed down, and they swayed as it came to a stop. InuYasha automatically reached forward to steady Kagome who was standing in front of him. They both had given up their seats when an elderly couple came on board. InuYasha was wondering why they had done them the favor since they had then proceeded to drill a hole in his backside the entire ride. The only reprieve had been when a tall foreigner with flaming red hair and bright blue eyes got on at the last stop. At least then many of the eyes had something new to focus on.

He was grateful when the doors opened, and Kagome took his hand to lead him off. She kept a good grip on him until they were clear of the station and the hordes of people it contained, all hurrying to go to one destination or another.

They slowed their pace as they approached a park, and InuYasha finally couldn't keep his questions contained any longer. "What the fuck was wrong with them? What's wrong with me? Why were they all staring like that?"

Kagome sighed as she turned to face him. "I'm sorry, InuYasha. The Japanese people aren't very good at race relations. You see, everyone here is so much alike that anyone who isn't attracts attention. They stare because you're different. You have long white hair and gold eyes; the gentleman who got on at the last stop, who was probably either American or from the UK, got the same treatment. They stare, and then they pretend they weren't if you catch them. I'm sorry, InuYasha, I should have warned you."

InuYasha had closed his eyes again, though this time to breathe in the cleaner scents of the park around him and the soothing scent of the girl in front of him. When he opened them, he realized that she was now staring at him.

"What?" he asked roughly.

"I'm sorry, InuYasha, I couldn't help it. You're just so beautiful…" Kagome's voice trailed away as she blushed and looked away. "I stare at you a lot, you know. I'm just as bad as they are."

"Keh?"

Kagome turned away from him, embarrassed at her confession.

Softening at her reaction, InuYasha reached out and gently caught her arm. "You're not the only one," he whispered. "I watch you, too."

She still couldn't face him. "I know – you have to. I'm always getting into trouble."

This time he stepped in front of her, now holding her by both arms, though she was still looking down. "No, that's not why."

She slowly raised her head until she met his eyes. They were becoming dilated, and she could tell he was starting to pant a little though he had done nothing to become winded.

They stared at each other, gazing into one another's eyes. Finally, InuYasha could resist no more, and he slowly lowered his mouth to hers.

Her eyes widened as his lips met hers, and then she closed them and melted into him. He folded her into his arms, and her body melded against his as she wrapped her arms around him. It seemed as though time had stopped until the undeniable demand for oxygen forced them to pull apart.

They were both panting and flushed when they separated. Kagome looked up at the flustered hanyou and giggled.

"What?"

"If I'd known that would happen, I would've done this a lot sooner," she said with a chuckle.

"Keh." InuYasha now matched the color of his firerat, or he would have had he been wearing it. However, it didn't stop him from kissing her again.

When he let her come up for air, Kagome said, "It's getting late, and Mama will be worried. Are you ready to go home?"

"Can't I just carry you? We don't have to get on there again, do we?"

Kagome shook her head. "I don't think I want anyone staring at you other than me. I wouldn't want any of those other girls getting any ideas. I think we'll work on our own race relations – just between us."

"I can live with that," the hanyou muttered before he captured her lips one more time.


	3. Revelation

Written for the FirstTweak Community at LiveJournal

Challenge Week 2

Prompt: Mother

Requirement: Drabble (300 words or less)

**Title**: Revelation

**Genres**: Humor, Canon

**Rating**: PG13

**Characters**: InuYasha, Kagome, Sesshomaru, Jaken, and of course someone's mother

**Word count**: 300

**Summary**: An unexpected encounter after the defeat of Naraku provides a long awaited answer to an unasked question.

**Revelation**

"What just happened?" Kagome asked, looking at the sky.

InuYasha shook his head. "No idea. I didn't know the bastard's mother was still alive."

"So…. We defeat Naraku with Sesshomaru's help, and then his mother comes and chastises him like a bad puppy?"

InuYasha snickered. "I never thought I'd see the day he'd roll belly up like that. Hey, Little Youkai!" The hanyou couldn't help but to laugh.

"My name is Ja-" the little green imp screeched then sighed.

Kagome elbowed InuYasha. "That was Sesshomaru's mother? Where's she been?"

Jaken sighed again and looked at the ground, leaning heavily on the Staff of Two Heads. "She lives in a palace in the clouds."

"Sesshomaru certainly resembles her," Kagome commented.

"In more ways than one," he muttered in return. "She's rather heartless."

"The exact opposite of my mother," InuYasha whispered.

Kagome took his hand and squeezed it. "I'll bet she was warm and loving."

The hanyou only nodded.

"I'm sure she'd be proud of you," Kagome said softly. "We couldn't have defeated Naraku without you."

"No, that was because of you," InuYasha responded. "He didn't have a chance once your powers were unsealed. You should go and tell your mother. I'm sure she's worried."

"Could we wait for your brother to come back? I still wanted to thank him for killing Magatsuhi. I never got the chance," Kagome replied.

"Oi, here he comes." InuYasha nodded in the direction his brother was approaching from, still in his canine form with his mother hot on his tail.

"Enough, Mother!" Sesshomaru said when he returned to his human appearance.

"Hmph! You've become just like your father." With that statement, she flew away.

"Perhaps," Sesshomaru contemplated, "I finally understand."

"Keh?" InuYasha asked.

"Why Father preferred your mother – mine's _such_ a bitch."

Even Jaken wouldn't disagree.


	4. Calendar Girl

Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi. I just enjoy making them play with each other.

This was written for the FirstTweak community at LiveJournal "Calendar" Oneshot (301 words or more) challenge.

**Title: Calendar Girl  
****Genres: **Humor, Romance  
**Pairing: **InuYasha/Kagome  
**Rating: **T  
**Word Count**: 731  
**Warnings**: Language and sexual situations  
**Summary**: Some activities just aren't as much fun as they used to be.

**Calendar Girl**

InuYasha was seriously pissed. He had things to do. He was right in the middle of making improvements to the hut he'd built for Kagome when a damn youkai attacked him. The stupid thing had come looking for the Shikon no Tama, which had been purified out of existence. As it was, the inuhanyou had been surprised because most of the lower youkai such as this had been lured in by Naraku when the whole jewel was in his possession, and like everything else, he'd used them up until there were none left. The few that survived Naraku had been purified by Kagome when she fried the evil hanyou's ass right before Sesshomaru went after him with Bakusaiga, and then InuYasha sent him to hell with the Meidou of Black Tessaiga. In addition to that, this thing's jyaki was so weak that InuYasha had not even felt it before it was almost on top of him. In fact, if it hadn't of attacked him, he would have felt sorry for it.

"InuYasha! Will you hurry up with that! It's time!" Kagome came out and yelled up at him.

"If you don't want me covered in youkai guts, I suggest you get your bow and purify it with an arrow!" the annoyed hanyou shouted back. "Otherwise, you're going to have to wait for me to wash up!"

"Men!" Kagome exclaimed as she ran inside and grabbed her bow and quiver. Slinging the sheath of arrows over her shoulder, she pulled one out and nocked it in her bow as soon as she was outside. She had to run a little further from their hut. "Careful, InuYasha! I don't want to hit you and purify anything important!" she shouted up at him.

InuYasha had wrangled the serpentine creature around the neck, and its tail was flailing around, knocking chunks off of the roof he'd been working so hard on. Its face started to turn a deep purplish green as he strangled it in pure frustration. "Just shoot already, will you!"

With a huff, Kagome loosed the arrow and it hit the mark, turning the struggling demon to dust.

The hanyou stood on the roof and surveyed the damage. "Fucking youkai! Now I have to redo all of that."

"Do it later, hurry up and get in here!" she ordered. "We're supposed to do this now!"

InuYasha jumped off of the roof and followed his wife into the hut. She was already stripping out of her clothing and he was doing the same. She practically leaped on the futon, and he moved over her to set about the task at hand.

"How many more days of this?" he asked her later as they lay together with her tucked into his side.

"According to the calendar, for the next three, but I have to take my temperature, too. Looking at everything Mama gave me, this was the perfect day and basal body temperature to conceive a son. She swears it's the way they had Souta," Kagome stated.

The hanyou sighed. "You know I've told you I don't care if we have a boy or a girl."

Kagome traced a pattern of circles on his hardened chest. "I know, but I always wished I'd had a big brother. I'd like to have a boy first, and then a girl."

"You know, it was a lot more fun when it was more…" InuYasha's voice trailed away as he searched for the right word.

"Spontaneous?" Kagome asked.

InuYasha raised an eyebrow.

"More natural, impulsive, unplanned?" she clarified.

"Yeah, that. It was a lot more fun when we just decided we wanted to do it – in the river, in the tree, in the meadow, on the futon – you know, wherever we were. Your calendar and that thing you take your temperature with takes all of the fun out of it."

Kagome giggled. "You don't like having to perform at a moment's notice?"

InuYasha suddenly was over her and looking at her with a smirk and a predatory gleam in his eyes. "It depends on whose moment. My turn."

Her giggle turned to a moan as his lips crashed down on hers. When he allowed her up for air, she whispered, "Spontaneous is good. I'll ditch the thermometer."

"Good," the hanyou replied before he captured her lips again.

'_But I'm keeping the calendar,'_ she thought as they started round two.


	5. Time For A Change

Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi.

Written for the FirstTweak community at LiveJournal. The prompt was "Wind" and the limit was 300 words.

**Title: Time For A Change**

**Pairing**: InuYasha/Kagome

**Rating**: G

**Word count**: 300

**Warning**: unadulterated fluff

**Summary**: Kagome brings a rather unexpected and unwanted object back from the future. What possessed her to bring _that_?

**Time For A Change**

Kagome had gone through the well, but just as she had promised, she had returned to him.

InuYasha took the well-worn yellow backpack from her and slung it over his shoulder. He froze at the metal "clang" that he heard.

"What was that?"

Kagome smiled softly and took his hand, the simple action soothing his jittery nerves. "Don't worry. It was just something I needed to bring with me."

The hanyou looked suspicious, but nodded. Together, they walked side by side to Kaede's hut.

It seemed quiet with only the two of them. Miroku and Sango were already married and living in a nearby hut. Shippou had ventured out on his own in hopes of finding an older kitsune who could help him with his powers.

Kaede was currently on her way to the neighboring village, so it was just InuYasha and Kagome alone together for the night. When it was time for bed, Kagome rolled out her sleeping bag. She surprised the hanyou by pulling out an alarm clock and then proceeding to wind it. He plastered his ears to his head at the grinding sound, but otherwise didn't protest.

"Let's go to sleep, all right?" Kagome suggested as she stretched out, the clock near her head.

The ticking grated on his nerves but that was _nothing_ compared to the alarm that clanged off at dawn. Without thinking, InuYasha crushed it.

Kagome awakened at the sounds and smiled at the sight of the cringing hanyou, expecting to be sat.

"It's okay, InuYasha. I just wanted to hear it one last time. That was to start a new day – the first day of the rest of our lives together."

"You're not mad?"

"I never want to wind a clock again."

The hanyou grinned before leaning forward to kiss his miko.


	6. It Was Written In The Tree

Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi. I just enjoy making them play with each other.

This was written for the First Tweak community at LiveJournal. The prompt was Caligraphy and it had to be a oneshot (301 words or more).

**Title: It Was Written In The Tree**

**Rating**: T

**Genres**: Romance, WAFF

**Pairing**: InuYasha/Kagome

**Word count**: 2259

**Warnings**: language, more unadulterated fluff

**Summary**: InuYasha will do almost anything to get Kagome to stay with him, and now he has a new idea, thanks to Souta.

**It Was Written In The Tree**

InuYasha had been unusually subdued since the defeat of Naraku. He hadn't made a huge fuss as usual when Kagome returned home to see her family, though he wanted to. He hated to admit how much he missed her even if it were only for a few hours. This time it was for several days, and he was always terrified she would change her mind and not return to him. However, she said she had to decide if she wanted to continue on with school or not. The hanyou was afraid that if he argued with her too much, she would decide to stay in her era and never come back. So instead of fighting with her, he'd keh'd a few times when she tried to explain what she was doing and allowed her to go on her way. The one thing that had made him feel at least a little better was when she told him he was always welcome – as long as he didn't try to force her back before she was ready.

He had returned through the well to find that Kagome was off shopping with her girl friends. However, her mother had asked if he would like to have some lunch. He nodded, and she requested him to fetch Souta down from his room. He bounced up the stairs and threw open the door to the boy's bedroom.

"Hey Souta-" he started but abruptly cut himself off when he saw him hurriedly gathering papers that he was trying to hide. "Whatcha doing?" InuYasha couldn't help but to be curious about what he was hiding.

"InuYasha, please don't tell anyone, will you?" Souta looked almost frantic.

"Tell what?" the hanyou asked, puzzled.

The youngster's face turned an even brighter shade of red as he slowly uncrumpled the paper and tried to smooth it flat.

"That's your name?" InuYasha asked, having seen it before when Kagome showed Miroku how to write both her and her brother's names. InuYasha had pretended not to care, but he'd been paying attention.

Souta nodded in response.

"And butterfly?"

Souta just stared at InuYasha. He had no idea he could read what he'd written when he decided to show him.

The hanyou cocked his head. "You practicing?"

"It's a girl's name, Cho," the boy whispered so softly even InuYasha could barely hear him.

"Oh." InuYasha turned pink as well. "You like her?"

Souta started to say something but they were interrupted by the sound of Mama at the foot of the stairs.

"Oi, I was supposed to tell you lunch was ready. Come on, kid."

Souta hid his papers away and followed the hanyou from his room.

InuYasha had been quiet during lunch, trying to decide how to ask Kagome's sibling more about the purpose of writing the names together on the paper. From his reaction, it was clear that the boy liked the girl named Cho – was this some way to help bring them together? Maybe stay together? However, some of Souta's little friends showed up, and the hanyou ended up scurrying to Kagome's room, out the window, and over to the sacred tree. As he set high in the branches, an idea came to him.

He looked around to make certain the coast was clear before jumping down and dashing into the well house. In a flash of blue, he was back in his own era breathing the pollution free air. He was thoughtful as he walked towards Goshinboku and then jumped up. He climbed higher than he normally did and found a sturdy branch to sit on.

"It couldn't hurt to try, could it?" he asked himself as he stared at the bark of the tree. Carefully, he began to etch into the trunk. He didn't want to slice into the ancient wood of the sacred tree enough to damage it, so instead he carved away little by little to leave his name engraved into the bark. He closed his eyes to picture what Kagome's name looked like when written, and then started the same process over again, ever so gently sculpting it next to his.

When he was finished, he ran his hand over his handiwork and closed his eyes. "Please, Kagome, please stay with me. I know I'm just a selfish hanyou bastard, but I don't want you to leave. I hope that you will be with me for as long as our names are together on this tree."

"InuYasha?" a voice drifted from the direction of the old well.

"Kagome!" InuYasha exclaimed, his heart soaring into his throat. He leapt out of the tree and rushed to the edge of the clearing at the well and then walked towards her. He didn't want the wench to know how anxious he was to see her.

"Are you all right? Mama said that you were there at lunch but then took off. Did you need me?" Kagome asked him.

The hanyou couldn't help the pink that began to cross his cheeks at the loaded question. Of course he needed her – he just couldn't let her know. "Keh, some friends of your brother's showed up so I had to hide. It was easier to come back here."

"I see. Well, I just wanted to make certain everything was okay." Kagome tried to suppress a smile as she turned back towards the well. She had finally learned that the hanyou couldn't be pushed, and cornering him brought out his rather bad temper. Instead she added, "If you're hungry, supper is almost ready. I know you like Mama's cooking."

"I could eat." InuYasha thrust his hands into his sleeves and followed the miko, though he surprised her when he scooped her up in front of him and then jumped into the well and back out again.

The next day found him back up in Goshinboku on the young miko's side of the well. He had climbed up to about where he thought he'd carved their names into the tree and started looking. Needless to say, the tree had changed in five centuries, and InuYasha was crestfallen when he found some damage near the area where he was certain he had engraved their names. His first thought was that they were not meant to be, and his work had been eradicated from the trunk by some greater being. However, refusing to give up just yet, he kept looking.

"I don't fucking believe it," he whispered to himself when he finally found the right spot. The damage wasn't that far from where their names were, but due to whatever had happened to the tree, the bark seemed to have compressed there, rather than spreading further apart as one might have expected as the tree expanded and grew. Whereas the two names had once been etched rather neatly next to each other, they were now overlapping to the point that they were almost merged completely together. InuYasha traced his claw following the scores in the bark. "Maybe you really will stay by my side."

Feeling much better than he had in days, he gracefully jumped back down to the ground. Unfortunately, he landed near an unsuspecting Jii-chan, making him drop the pot he was carrying as he used language InuYasha wasn't certain that a priest should know.

"InuYasha!" he heard in a voice that made him cringe. He hadn't been sat in quite some time, and really didn't want to suffer that humiliation right now.

Kagome saw the look that crossed the hanyou's face, and for once reeled in her temper. He'd been so skittish since they had defeated Naraku – or at least once the swagger and adrenaline had worn off after the battle. "Try not to scare Jii-chan, okay? He's getting too old to have you jumping out of trees at him."

InuYasha breathed a sigh in relief. "Keh."

"What were you doing up there? You seemed to be a lot higher up than usual." Kagome was looking up at the branches he had descended from.

"I could show you," he said shyly. He couldn't tell her how he felt, but if the great tree deemed they were to be together, maybe that would work.

Kagome studied him for a minute. "Okay."

"Climb on." When she was securely on his back, he headed straight up.

He reached the branch that was nearest where their names were carved into the ancient wood and then carefully helped her find her balance. "Don't worry, I won't let you fall," he said softly.

Kagome smiled at him. "I know."

"This is what I was looking at." He indicated the area by rubbing his palm across it.

The miko looked puzzled. "I'm sorry InuYasha, but I can't quite tell…" she leaned back a little to be able to get a better overall view. Slowly, the picture began to sink in and she gasped. "How?"

The hanyou's ears flattened to his head. "You really want to know?"

Kagome nodded in return.

This time he picked her up and held her close to his chest as he headed towards the ground. However, he didn't set her down when he reached it, but instead kept her tucked against him as he went back through the well and then up into Goshinboku once again. When he arrived at the limb with his still fresh carving above it, he stopped and straddled it, still holding her to him.

Still afraid she may not want him, he nodded towards the two names before blushing and looking away. "That's how."

"InuYasha," she whispered, rubbing her hand across the rough bark. "You did this?"

He nodded though he didn't have the courage to look at her.

"You want to be with me?"

Once again, he nodded, afraid to look at her in case she rejected him.

"InuYasha, I promised to stay by your side. I try to keep my promises," she told him.

The hanyou whispered, "You could change your mind – go back to your own time."

"Is that what's been bothering you since Naraku was defeated?" she asked.

"Keh."

"Why didn't you say something," Kagome started, and then realized who she was asking. "Never mind." She cupped his cheek with her hand and turned his face back towards her. "Was this your way of saying you loved me?" He could hear her heart pounding in her chest when she asked. She held his eyes captive and refused to let them go.

Slowly, he nodded.

"I love you, too," she whispered before she leaned towards him and softly pressed her lips to his.

He was grinning for the first time in days when she pulled away. "Does this mean you'll stay?"

"For as long as you want me." Kagome was smiling as well.

InuYasha cupped the back of her head and drew her to him for another gentle kiss. When they pulled apart he pressed his forehead against hers. He was silent for a moment before he asked, "Would you be with me?"

It took a moment for what he was asking to sink in, and Kagome gasped.

The hanyou turned away from her and frowned. He knew it had to be too good to be true.

"No! I mean yes!" Kagome exclaimed when she realized what he was requesting.

"Keh?" a very confused hanyou asked.

Kagome looked at him seriously. "Are you asking me to be with you, like your wife?"

InuYasha was now the color of his firerat. "Yeah, but I'd understand…"

"Will you take me back to my time?" the miko inquired rather suddenly.

The hanyou didn't answer verbally but instead gathered her back up into his arms and sailed to the ground. When they were back in her time and had determined the coast was clear, she asked to be taken back up into Goshinboku.

They were once again on the limb high up into the tree when Kagome placed her hand over InuYasha's and then ran it over the rough bark. "InuYasha, all logic says our two names should have grown apart over the years, but instead, they've almost merged into one. This tree is considered sacred, and I for one certainly do not want to go against its wishes. I would be honored to be your wife – though you'll have to let me figure out how to break it to Mama."

They sat in silence for a few moments before Kagome asked, "Where did you learn calligraphy like this?"

InuYasha looked puzzled once again. "Cal-li-gra-phy? That's the name of the spell?"

"Spell?" Kagome giggled. "No, silly, the name of the beautiful writing. Wait, you thought this was a spell?"

The hanyou cringed. "I'm sorry. I would have done just about anything to keep you with me. I saw Souta try it, but he didn't want me to tell anyone."

The miko's smile made him relax a little. "It's not really a spell, InuYasha. It's hope - a wish for what you _want_ to happen." She reached inside of her shirt and pulled out a piece of paper that had been tucked into her bra. "I've been carrying this around next to my heart for a long time."

InuYasha took the battered piece of parchment from her and unfolded it. His eyes widened when he saw that she had written her name next to his. And like the writing on the tree, it had run and become crumpled so that the two were almost overlapping each other. It was difficult to tell where one ended and the other began.

"Anyway you look at it, I think we were meant to be."

_finis_


	7. Bouquets Aren't Always Flowers

This was written for the FirstTweak community at LiveJournal. The prompt was "Bouquet" and it had to be a drabble (300 words or less).

**Title**: Bouquets Aren't Always Flowers  
**Genres**: Humor, Romance  
**Rating**: G  
**Characters**: InuYasha/Kagome and Jii-chan  
**Warnings**: more fluff  
**Word count**: 300  
**Summary**: Kagome's grandfather teaches InuYasha one of the finer points in life.

**Bouquets Aren't Always Flowers**

"My, what a wonderful bouquet," Jii-chan said to himself as he swirled the cask of sake and took a sniff.

InuYasha had come through the well to find only Kagome's grandfather in the house. Holding his sleeve over his nose he asked, "What you going on about, Jiiji?"

The aged priest nearly jumped out of his skin and barely missed dropping his drink. "Oh, it's just you. I was about to enjoy a cup of sake."

The hanyou still had his sleeve over his nose. "Smells like you've already been in it. Is that why you think there's flowers in there?"

Jii-chan chortled. "No, the bouquet is the wonderful scent that has accumulated in the bottle. It gives one anticipation of what the taste might be. Come, have some."

Now InuYasha knew he'd been drinking when he offered him the cask. He lifted it to pour the liquid down his throat."

"No, not like that! You must take in the delicate scents first!" Jii-chan commanded. "Like this." He took the sake from the hanyou to demonstrate.

"Keh, whatever." To placate him, InuYasha did as instructed and then downed half the bottle. When he saw the old man nodding in approval as he pulled out yet another cask, he took another whiff before finishing it off.

The hanyou was enjoying the nice foggy haze that enveloped him as he sat in Goshinboku and waited for Kagome to return. His heart leapt into his throat when she arrived, but he waited until she made it to her room before he climbed through the window.

The miko was startled as the glassy eyed hanyou approached her and then pressed his nose into her neck before taking a deep breath. "Love your bouquet," he murmured.

"Huh?"

"Smell before tasting."

And then he kissed her.


	8. Oh, For the Love of

Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi. I just enjoy making them play with each other.

**AN:** This was written for the IYCaptions Community at LiveJournal. This was week one, and the requirement was 250 words or more. For this challenge community, they give you a picture and then you write your fic from it. The one for the very first challenge is at cowgirlem(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/Human-InuYasha-And-Kagome-fin-4806183 . They do have permission from the artist to use her artwork.

**Title: Oh, For the Love of…**  
**Rating:** R  
**Genre:** Angst, Romance  
**Warnings:** Language  
**AU/Canon:** Canon  
**Pairing:** InuYasha/Kagome  
**Words:** 727  
**Summary:** A certain hanyou really needs to stop jumping to conclusions.

**Oh, For the Love of…**

Kagome had barely made it down the steep staircase from the shrine to the street when she unexpectedly found herself being forced against the wall at the bottom. She gasped when her eyes met those of her attacker – those deep violet, almost black, eyes framed by a mane of wild and untamed ebony hair. A blush started to cross her cheeks as she forced herself to hold eye contact. "InuYasha?"

"Don't think I don't know where you're going, what you're going to do," he practically snarled. It was amazing how he could still growl with human vocal chords.

"You do?" she asked and then stopped herself. Why was he so angry? It didn't make any sense at all.

The hanyou turned human for the evening still had her pressed firmly against the wall. "You think because I'm mortal tonight and weak, that I won't be able to follow you - that I won't know where you've gone."

The miko raised her hands and settled them loosely at his waist. He looked so angry, so intense, so… jealous? "InuYasha, where exactly did you think I was going?"

The still livid young man in red wrapped his clawless hands around her wrists and forced her hands back to her own side. "I heard you earlier. Those girls called and you're going to see that fucking Houjou guy."

The wheels started turning in Kagome's head. Apparently he'd overheard part of the conversation but not all of it. He'd missed the part where she turned them down. Still, who did he think he was… "So what if I am!" she retorted angrily. "It's not like I belong to you!"

"Yes, you do!" InuYasha practically screamed, and then he abruptly turned her loose and turned away. _'Shit, I can't believe I said that out loud.'_

"InuYasha?" Her voice was soft, and she reached forward to gently grab his hand. "Did you mean that?"

He refused to turn around and look at her. "Keh."

"Is that a 'yes' keh or a 'no' keh?" she pressed.

Instead of answering, he pulled his hand free and crossed his arms in front of him. "You were right, I don't fucking own you. Forget it."

"But what if I don't want to?"

"You're supposed to go see that Houjou guy. Go on, see if I fucking care." InuYasha was staring up at the sky, or what little of it there was to see from the street.

"InuYasha," she said as she moved in front of him. "That's not where I was going."

"So…" He finally looked down at her, and she couldn't miss the sadness in his eyes.

"It was supposed to be a surprise, but you might as well come along since you've ruined it." Kagome tugged at his arm until he finally pulled it out of his sleeve. Taking his hand once again, she led him towards her intended destination.

"What is this place?" InuYasha asked as he looked at the fairly new structure that he did not recall having seen before.

"They make Ramen, InuYasha. This is where I was coming. It was going to be my thank you for letting me come back for Souta's birthday without fighting. I didn't realize there was going to be no moon tonight, though. I don't blame you for being mad at me. I'm sorry."

"You didn't know?"

"No, InuYasha. I had no idea. I don't get to come back often enough to keep up with the moon phases here. I'm sorry you had to go through this twice in the same week." Kagome looked at the ground. She really didn't blame him for being upset.

"So what flavors do they have?"

She looked up to see InuYasha staring at the stand. "You're not mad?"

He shook his head. "Keh. And the squirt was really happy you got to come back."

Kagome couldn't help but to giggle.

"What?" he asked in that tone of voice that told her he was getting annoyed again.

"You still haven't told me if that was a 'yes' keh or a 'no' keh." She met his eyes again, searching them.

"No, I'm not mad – at least not anymore." His cheeks were getting a little more flushed, too.

She leaned in and whispered, "That wasn't the question." She straightened back up. "Do you want some Ramen?"

"Yes."

Kagome grinned. "But _that_ was the right answer."


	9. Alone Again

This was written for the InuYasha Captions community at LiveJournal. The prompt this week was for a drabble (100-300 words) based on throwerchick(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/Don-t-Cry-Inuyasha-5438774 by Throwerchick at deviantART. They do have permission to use her artwork.

**Title: Alone Again  
****Rating: **G  
**Genre: **drama  
**Type: **Canon  
**Pairing: **InuYasha**/**Kagome  
**Summary: **InuYasha makes a difficult decision.

**Alone Again**

How could he let her walk away like that? She'd removed the rosary, handed it to him, and smiled. Then, he'd let her walk away. He seemed frozen in position at the well, his elbows resting on the ancient wood, the rosary entwined around his fingers and pressed against his forehead. How long had he'd waited for this day – the day when he was no longer bound by the dreaded beads? How long had he waited to be free? How long had he waited to celebrate? Only now that it was too late he realized that he never _wanted_ to be free, or at least not free from her. As much as he hated the dreaded word, he hated being separated from her more. Could he admit how he much he loved her? _Should_ he admit how much he loved her? How could he allow the only woman who had ever loved him for himself, as hanyou, just walk away? Then he remembered: the names his mother was called, the tears she shed for him, her blood as it pooled around her body as it turned cold - all because of her love of him and her desire to protect him. And so the hanyou, alone once again, allowed his tears to fall – tears for the only woman he'd ever truly loved, tears for the only one who had loved him for himself other than his dear departed mother. For her sake he would let her go. For her sake, he would never reveal how he truly felt. For her sake, he would remain here alone.


	10. A MidWinter Night's Dream

Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi. I just enjoy making them play with each other.

This was written for the IY Captions community at Live Journal, Week 3. This time we were given a set of pictures and had to select one. I chose #4 for the Picture prompt. The artwork was by Youkaiyoume at deviantART, and you can see it at youkaiyume (dot) deviantart (dot) com/art/SessKag-Everyday-Love-76219504 . Yes, I took a picture that was clearly supposed to be Sesshomaru/Kagome and turned it into InuYasha/Kagome.

**Title:** A Mid-Winter Night's Dream  
**Author:** doggieearlover  
**Rating:** G  
**Genre:** Romance  
**Type:** AU, Vignette  
**Pairing:** Kagome/InuYasha  
**Words:** 1220

**Summary:** The time approaches for Kagome to marry the man she loves.

**Notes**: Kagome's POV

**A Mid-Winter Night's Dream**

I can't believe how nervous I am. Today is finally the day - the day my dream comes true.

I couldn't believe it when he finally proposed. It wasn't exactly as I'd always dreamed. You know, a proposal on bended knee with him looking deeply into my eyes, those deep golden eyes that I find almost hypnotizing framed by a mane of beautiful long white hair. Nor was it one of those well-planned proposals in a romantic restaurant where you think the waiter is bringing dessert, but when he removes the silver top from the tray there is a diamond engagement ring in the western tradition instead. No, his proposal wasn't anything like that. Instead, it was more along the lines of, "I know you're human, and I'm not, but will you marry me?" I think he half expected me to say no, but we could still be friends. I swear he actually blushed as he looked away, afraid of rejection. He was completely unprepared when I squealed and then launched myself at him. I think it may have finally begun to sink in when I wrapped my hands around his head with my thumbs at rubbing his cheeks and pulled his lips to mine for a kiss – probably the most intense kiss I'd ever experienced. I don't think he truly understands how much I love him and how beautiful he is to me. He may not be human, but I love him. I guess because he isn't human he doesn't completely understand the emotion. However, whether he will admit it or not, I know he loves me in his own way. He watches over me and makes certain no harm comes to me. When I was sick, he was right there by my side. I know that he respects me, and that he will be faithful to me. Yes, I'm pretty certain that he does love me. Maybe, one day, he will be able to tell me the words.

We set the date to one I'd always dreamed of. Yes, it was in the middle of winter, but it was Christmas Eve. You see, Christmas Eve has all kinds of romantic legends wrapped around it, including the legend that if you express your true feelings to each other that evening, your wish to always be together will come true. I figured what was a better confession than to exchange wedding vows and promise in front of the kami your love and devotion? I wanted to write some of my own vows for the ceremony, and he agreed. I hope that he will tell me that he loves me, and that he always wants to be with me then.

"Oh, kami, I hope I have everything." I am so nervous. My mother will have nearly everything I need when I reach the shrine. I anxiously shift the box that I have under my arm. I have the ceremonial bag and dagger along with my veil for my western style dress when I change at the reception wrapped in it. It will a be a small reception as compared to many, but it will be enough for us. I have on my coat and my boots. I look anxiously around, making sure that I have everything.

"Humans are so forgetful." I look into the golden eyes of the man that is wrapping a blue scarf around my neck. "We don't want you to catch cold, do we?"

I can't help but to blush as my eyes meet his intense amber ones. I'm so embarrassed. It is quite cold out; the temperature is well below the normal level even for this time of the year. "Thanks so much. You're right – this would be a horrible time to catch a cold."

"We shouldn't keep my brother waiting. He's a nervous wreck, you know. He still can't believe that you said yes, and he's afraid that he dreamed the entire thing. I told him I couldn't believe it, either. He's a very lucky man."

I can't help but to admire the man standing next to me. We thought we'd kill each other when we first met, but we finally reached an understanding. A lot of the time it involves agreeing to disagree. He is terribly handsome with the same golden eyes and long beautiful hair, though his is even whiter than his half-brother's. "Sesshomaru-sama, I know you and InuYasha have had your differences, but I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help with everything. I hope we will be able to repay you some day."

The full youkai looked solemn. "I waited far too long to make amends with my brother. He is the only family I have left and I spent too many years attempting to punish him for something that was not his fault. As long as he is finally happy, that is payment enough. Now, are you ready? Everyone will be waiting to help prepare you for the ceremony. I will attempt to keep InuYasha calm, though that's easier said than done. I do hope your grandfather doesn't seriously attempt to purify him."

I can't help but to sigh and smile. "It's a good thing that InuYasha is half human, or Jii-chan would probably have never accepted him. It was difficult enough as it was. But in the end, he agreed, though sometimes I wonder if Mama threatened him."

"She is a formidable woman," Sesshomaru said as he indicated that it really was time for us to leave.

I climb into the car and he closes the door before going around to the driver's side. Once we are on our way, I remark, "It sounds like you have some personal experience with my mother."

"Let's just say that she helped me to look at things in a different light." I can't quite discern the look that crosses his face as he watches the road before him.

Out of the blue he comments, "Are you certain that you don't want to change your mind and marry me instead?"

I shake my head and laugh. "Sorry, Sesshomaru-sama, but I look forward to having you as my brother-in-law. You know, I'm certain there is a girl out there somewhere just for you." I look at him and I would swear a slight blush crossed his cheeks. I have learned that he really isn't as cold and unfeeling as he pretends to be. And while I love him like a brother, his brother is the one I'm in love with.

"We're here."

I lean across the seat and give him a chaste kiss on the cheek. "Thank you again, Sesshomaru-sama."

He reaches over to wrap the blue scarf a little snugger around my neck. "Foolish human, but I guess you'll have to do. After tonight, you're part of my family, too."

My mother is walking towards us as the inuyoukai comes around to open my door for me. He is nothing if not well-mannered, so different from his brother who practically had to raise himself. I step out of the car, and I see the inuhanyou I love. I can't help but to run right by my mother and throw myself into his arms. "InuYasha." I wrap my arms around him as he folds me into his. At last, I'm where I belong.


	11. White Ribbon

Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi. I just enjoy making them play with each other.

This was written for the First Tweak Community at LiveJournal. The prompt was "Ribbon" and it had to be a oneshot (301 words or more).

**Title: White Ribbon  
****Rating**: T  
**Type**: Canon, Oneshot  
**Word Count**: 1100  
**Characters**: InuYasha/Kagome and Souta  
**Warning**: Language  
**Summary**: Kagome finds a mysterious ribbon of cloth in her room.

**White Ribbon**

Kagome entered her room and was about to flop down on the bed when she noticed a single ribbon of cloth hanging haphazardly off of the footboard. Picking it up, she ran the white cotton across her hands. "Kind of plain for a scarf," she commented to herself. Walking over to her mirror, she wrapped the strip of fabric around her head. "Too long to use for that." Untangling it from her hair, she wrapped it around her waist. "I guess it could be a men's obi, though it doesn't seem to be quite long enough for a traditional one, and too wide for a martial arts belt. It's definitely not big enough for a ladies'." Puzzled, she held the mystery cloth between her fingers and stretched her hands as far apart as they would go. However, spreading the fabric band before her did not do a thing to answer her questions. Remembering why she originally returned to her room, she stretched out on her bed and closed her eyes, the strip of cotton still clutched in her hands.

"Thanks for taking a bath with me!" Souta exclaimed as he and InuYasha sat in the warm water. "I hope you can stay longer and we can do more stuff together since Naraku is gone." The young boy looked seriously at the hanyou. "You are going to let my sister visit for a while, aren't you?"

InuYasha sank a little further into the tub and closed his eyes. "Feh, at least you didn't try to boil me alive this time. And yeah, Kagome deserves a break. She worked hard against Naraku and she's tired." He didn't want to mention that he was weary after the battle, too. It was nice to be here with no one to try to kill him or to even call him names. Kagome's family had always been nice to him, even when he'd let his mouth run away with him.

"That'll make Mama happy," Souta commented. "She was really worried when Kagome left after graduation. She didn't say anything, but I could tell. I think she was afraid Kagome might not get to come back."

The hanyou's eyes snapped open. "I'd never let anything happen to her. I promised to protect her with my life." His face reddened even more than from the heat of the water. He had not meant to admit that out loud.

Souta was shaking his head. "She wasn't worried about you protecting her; she was worried that the well might close and Kagome couldn't come back again."

InuYasha's eyes had been drifting closed again, but he opened them to look at the serious young boy. "We don't know why the well works the way it does, but it's still open for now. Have you had enough yet? Kagome should be back soon."

"Yeah, I guess so." Souta stood from the bath and grabbed a towel. Drying himself off, he pulled on his briefs and then his pants and shirt he'd brought in with him. He handed InuYasha a towel. "Here. You can dry yourself off and then wrap it around you. I'll go down and see if Mama has your clothes ready. Why don't you wait in Kagome's room?"

The hanyou nodded and did as the boy suggested. With a towel wrapped around his waist, he went back to the young miko's room and entered it, closing the door behind him. It wasn't until he turned around he realized the reason her scent was so strong because she was there on her bed, softly snoring. He started to turn around and leave when he noticed what was tangled in her hands. "Oh, shit."

Mrs. Higurashi had insisted on taking his clothing to wash it, but either she dropped his fundoshi, or had already laundered and returned it. He reddened as he watched Kagome's fingers caress the cloth in her sleep. However, he needed it in order to get dressed. Not wanting to wake her, he stealthily approached her and then began to try and pry the garment from her hands.

"It's mine," she muttered as he tried to pull the strip free from her grip.

"It's mine and I need it," he whispered in return. However, the harder he pulled, the tighter she held on. "Fuck!" he exclaimed softly, not realizing that his towel was in the process of falling off.

Kagome awakened to the sensation of her fingers being manipulated as he tried desperately to pry them loose. As her eyes slowly opened and began to focus, she realized that a very naked InuYasha had her hands in his. "Osuwari!"

"What the fuck was that for?" InuYasha shouted from the floor. One hand was still wrapped in the fundoshi and stretched upwards toward Kagome.

"You… you… you… you're naked!" Kagome yelled. "What are you doing in my room with no clothes on?"

"Trying to get dressed, but I can't!" the angry hanyou growled.

About that time Souta opened the door. "I have your clothes for you. Hey, Nee-chan, when did you get home?"

The embarrassed miko yanked the white cloth from the clawed hand and pressed it against her eyes. "A little while ago. And will you tell InuYasha to put something on?"

The hanyou sat up and pulled the towel that had fallen aside over his lap. "Kid, will you tell your sister to give my fundoshi back to me? I need it."

Souta walked over and handed InuYasha the clothes Mama had laundered. "Cool! Will you show me how it goes on?"

"She has to let go of it first," the hanyou mumbled.

"Let him have it, Nee-chan! I want to see how it goes on," Souta said. "Please, give it to him? Besides, why do you want InuYasha's underwear?"

Kagome threw the long strip off of her face faster than if it were alive and wriggling and would bite. "I didn't know, I swear!" Curling up into a ball on her side, she hid her face. "Just shoot me; shoot me now."

Relieved, InuYasha grabbed his undergarment and proceeded to wrap it in place.

"You're going too fast," Souta complained. "I wanted to see-"

"Out!" Kagome demanded.

Souta took the hint and ran out of the room.

The miko groaned. "Why me?"

"It's not my fault you wouldn't let go," InuYasha answered.

Kagome jumped. "Is he gone?"

"Keh."

"I'm sorry, InuYasha. There's still so much I don't know…"

The hanyou couldn't help but to blush. "Well, you know what my fundoshi looks like now."

"A long white ribbon," she commented off-handedly, "that wraps a very nice package."


	12. A Knight in Shining Firerat?

Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They are the property of Rumiko Takahashi and Sunrise.

This was written for the First Tweak community at LiveJournal. The prompt was "wish" and it was required to be a drabble (300 words or less).

**Title: A Knight in Shining… Firerat?  
****Genre**: Canon, Drama  
**Rating**: T  
**Word Count:** 300  
**Warning**: Language  
**Characters**: InuYasha/Kagome and Jii-chan  
**Summary**: Jii-chan makes a wish on Kagome's behalf.

**A Knight in Shining… Firerat?**

"_I know my granddaughter has a destiny to fulfill. I pray for her to have a strong, handsome young man to help her, and to protect her. Please, keep Kagome safe and grant my wish." _Jii-chan was praying to the kami of the Higurashi shrine. It was the day after Kagome's fifteenth birthday. According to Souta, she had been pulled into the well by a monster and hadn't been seen since.

Two days later, he was once again inspecting the well at Souta's insistence. "But we've looked in here many times," he protested as he turned on the flashlight. He was startled as he heard, "Souta! Jii-chan!"

They helped the disoriented girl out of the well. She had been so scared and was so glad to be home that the old priest decided to seal the well with sutra. After all, he wasn't really certain time traveling was what he had in mind. Kagome would just have to wait for another time and destiny for her knight in shining armor… _"What the…"_

The shoji was thrown back with a loud "thwack!" and a white-haired man dressed in red was standing in the doorway. He was handsome, he was young, he was… hanyou?

"InuYasha?" Kagome said softly. "How?"

"Through the well! Who said you could fucking leave?" the irate hanyou demanded.

"It was sealed!" Jii-chan insisted.

"These? They don't work," InuYasha commented as he plucked one off of his clothing and grabbed Kagome by the arm. "Come on. We have to fucking go right now."

He was only stopped momentarily by her mother wanting to rub his ears.

Jii-chan sighed as he followed them to the well house. _"This really wasn't what I had in mind. Not only is he rude and violent, but did he have to have dog ears?"_


	13. Dream A Little Dream

This was written for the IY Captions community at LiveJournal - Week 5.

Prompt: kriscynical (dot) deviantart (dot) com/art/quot-Aniki-quot-Colored-18858863

**Author**: doggieearlover  
**Rating**: Y  
**Warning**: Language  
**Genre**: Drama  
**Type**: Canon  
**Summary**: InuYasha has a reoccurring nightmare.

**Dream a Little Dream**

"Fuck!" InuYasha woke with a start, surprised at the amount of sweat that dripped from him. He was even more startled to discover that his face was wet.

"InuYasha, what is it?" a soft voice said.

"Nothing. Go back to sleep, Kagome," he responded.

He closed his eyes to try and pretend he was going back to sleep, but didn't miss the soft padding of bare feet approaching him. He opened his eyes to find a worried miko looking at him intently. Cautiously, she reached forward and swept his sweat drenched bangs out of his face. "What's wrong? That's the third night in a row."

The hanyou's eyes widened as he realized she'd heard him the previous two nights. Shaking his head, he insisted, "It was just a bad dream - nothing for you to worry about."

"Naraku?"

Closing his eyes, he shook his head again.

"InuYasha, maybe it'll help if you tell someone," she urged quietly.

He sighed and looked away. The dream didn't make any sense; it was something that had never happened. However, he felt the young miko sit down next to him and then lean against him, offering comfort by her presence.

He looked at the others, all slumbering peacefully in Kaede's rather crowded hut. Not wanting to wake anyone else, he silently rose and looked at her expectantly. She held out her hand and was almost surprised when he gently took it and pulled her to her feet. Letting go and folding both hands into his sleeves, he went through the door. He didn't have to look to know that she was following him.

They walked in silence until they found themselves at Goshinboku. Sitting down on the tangle of roots at the base of the tree, Kagome remained silent while InuYasha gathered his thoughts.

"It doesn't make any fucking sense," he finally offered. "Why would I dream about something that never happened?"

The miko couldn't tell if he was talking to her, or himself.

"I never saw the bastard when I was little," he continued. "He never came to check on me, even once."

The wheels were turning in Kagome's head. There was really only one other soul that InuYasha referred to commonly in such a manner other than Naraku, who was dead. That was his elder brother. "Sesshomaru?" she questioned. "You're dreaming about your brother?"

The hanyou's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Keh."

She reached over and gently touched his arm. "What happened? In your dream? You don't have to tell me, but maybe we can make sense of it. Dreams aren't always based on something that's real. A lot of times they are a symbol for something else."

"So why would I be tugging at Sesshomaru's sleeve and begging him not to go? I never wanted anything from that bastard." InuYasha refused to look at her and was instead staring off into space somewhere.

"Didn't you?" Kagome whispered.

"No! I..." InuYasha's voice trailed away. "No. Just leave it at that."

"InuYasha, he was your only family. There's nothing wrong if you wanted him to be a big brother to you. I know you looked up to him. The reason you wanted the Shikon no Tama was so that you could become a full blood youkai, just like him." Kagome fell silent and waited for him to respond. When only silence fell on her ears, she prompted, "How old were you in the dream?"

"Not very. It couldn't have been long after my mother died. I barely made it to his waist," the hanyou answered reluctantly.

"What else?"

"He was telling me I was on my own. I was just an abomination - our father's mistake. He told me to fend for myself or die, and not to ever let him catch me in the Western Lands. I was holding on to his sleeve, begging him not to go. It's stupid, I know." InuYasha took a rock he'd plucked from somewhere and chucked it across the clearing. "I don't understand. It never happened."

Kagome was silent as she considered what he'd said. "I think your dream symbolizes your relationship now."

"Relationship? _What_ relationship?" the hanyou argued.

"Whether you want to admit it or not, you two worked together against Naraku and Magatsuhi. He even protected me when I was helpless, which he didn't have to do. You may still insult each other, but you haven't tried to kill each other in a long time. To be honest, I'm not certain that you ever really did. I think you like the feeling that you actually have a brother and don't want to lose that. I think you have earned his respect, and you are afraid of losing that - of being rejected. You feel like that lost little boy with no family once again. InuYasha, you never have to feel that way again. Even when Sesshomaru leaves here, you will still be his brother. Even when he leaves here, you will still have his respect. You've earned it in this battle. He won't be rejecting you when he goes, he'll simply be going home. And while you'll probably always argue and trade insults, he'll still be family." Kagome took his hand between hers and squeezed it. "Does that make any sense?"

InuYasha sighed and nodded. As much as he hated to admit it, what she said rang true.

A short distance away, downwind from them, a ghostly figure glided into the darkness. "Indeed."


	14. Midnight Confession

Written for the At First Tweak community at LiveJournal. The prompt was Bell and it had to be a drabble (300 words or less)

**Title**: **Midnight Confession  
****Rating**: G  
**Pairing**: InuYasha/Kagome  
**Genre**: Romance  
**Warnings**: Fluff, Spoilers for Manga Chapter 556  
**Word** **Count**: 299  
**Summary**: InuYasha and Kagome wait for the bells to ring in the New Year.

**Midnight Confession**

"Hey," InuYasha said softly as he approached Kagome. She was sitting on the bench under Goshinboku. "What are you doing out here so late?" The hanyou was uncomfortable. He could tell she'd been crying.

The young miko gave a slight smile and gestured for him to join her. "A lot's happened this year, hasn't it?"

Not really knowing how to respond, InuYasha nodded.

"Do you know what tonight is?"

"I assume it has something to do with all of the cleaning and stuff that's been going on around here. When Jijii got all of those boxes in, I just knew he was going to start plastering me with sutra again."

Kagome laughed softly. "If he did that, he couldn't sell them – though maybe he could charge extra if he said they'd been used on a real live hanyou. But yes, tonight at midnight the bells will ring in the New Year."

"So what does that mean?"

"We get to leave the worries and troubles from this year behind and start over again."

They sat in silence for a while until he noticed she was shivering with the cold. He placed his arm around her and pulled her against him.

"InuYasha, do you ever wish this last year had never happened? That you hadn't been stuck here with me when the well vanished?"

He didn't respond immediately, and he knew her eyes were filling with tears as she tried to pull away.

He caught her cheek gently and turned her face toward his. "I wouldn't change this last year for anything. Yeah, it was rough, but I realized what you meant to me, and then I realized what I mean to you."

She smiled as the bells began to toll the New Year and he lowered his lips to hers.


	15. Tears Not Wasted

Kagome couldn't believe it – the hanyou with his head pillowed on her breasts and wrapped in her arms was crying

**Disclaimers**: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi.

This was written for the IYCaptions community at LiveJournal Week 10 challenge  
Prompt: "He cried" by KrisCynical  
Link: kriscynical(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/He-cried-5831265  
Requirement: Drabble (300 words or less)

**Title: Tears Not Wasted  
****Genre**: Romance  
**Pairing**: InuYasha/Kagome  
**Type**: Canon  
**Rating**: T  
**Word** **count**: 300  
**Warnings**: Fluff, language  
**Summary**: Kagome is surprised by InuYasha's reaction to her news.

**Tears Not Wasted**

Kagome couldn't believe it – the hanyou with his head pillowed on her breasts and wrapped in her arms was crying. "InuYasha?" she questioned softly. "I'm sorry… I didn't know… I…" her voice trailed away. "I'm sorry you're upset."

He pulled free and raised his tear streaked face up so that he could look into her eyes. "You think I'm upset?"

Tears welled in her eyes as she nodded. "I was hoping you'd be happy… I promise I didn't plan it… I… well…"

"Kagome, I never understood when you cried because you were happy. Don't you understand? I never thought I'd have a friend I could trust, much less someone like you to love me. I never dreamed I'd one day have a child. You've given me so much." He moved his hand to place it on her belly. "And now you're giving me this."

She wrapped her arms back around him. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "It's just I haven't seen you cry like that since… since…"

"Kikyou died?" he finished her statement for her.

Unable to speak, she again nodded in response. Then she offered, "InuYasha, it's okay to cry." She couldn't help but to giggle. "But try not to scare me like that. I tell you I'm pregnant, and you start bawling. Next time try to warn me you're actually happy."

The hanyou couldn't help but to grin. "So now you know how I feel when you cry and say you're happy. It's fucking confusing, you know."

"Touché."

InuYasha raised an eyebrow.

"Never mind. Make love to me?" she asked softly.

"I do love you, Kagome," he whispered in return as he moved over her.

"I love you too, InuYasha."

"I know. I can't believe how long it took me to figure that out."

"I'm just glad you did."


	16. Dance in the Dark

Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi.

This was written for Week Eleven at the IY Captions Community at LiveJournal  
Prompt: belafantasy(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/Come-over-here-Kagome-4840476  
Requirement: 250+ words  
Thanks to inufan625 for the beta job!

**Title: Dance in the Dark  
****Pairing**: InuYasha/Kagome  
**Rating**: R  
**Word count**: 620  
**Warnings**: Spoilers for Manga Chapter 556-558; Sexual situations  
**Summary**: InuYasha waits for his lover.

**Dance in the Dark**

Kagome smiled as she pushed her way through the brush and one of the sexiest sights she'd ever laid her eyes on came into view. With the deepening twilight of the approaching night as the backdrop, there was InuYasha resting against a tree. His hakama was untied and barely covering his hips. His haori was mostly off with only the sleeve still hanging on his right arm to reveal his hard planed chest and abdomen. His white kosode was nowhere to be seen. His left hand was up, one finger beckoning her towards him.

At least here, when they were alone, InuYasha was no longer the shy hanyou who had waited three years for her to come back through the well, remaining faithful to her even though he had no real indication that she would ever return. He'd never completely given up hope, although he was sad for those three years as he watched Miroku and Sango have children together and Rin grow like a weed under Kaede's watchful eye. He helped Miroku eradicate troublesome youkai for a bounty, but he rarely took any of the fees for himself. To him it was just something to do to keep busy, until the day Kagome returned to him.

He was so happy to see her, and she him that day the well reopened in response to her heart. She'd finished high school and made her family proud, but the only thing missing was the man who'd saved her from the darkness – InuYasha. The well heard her plea to be with him and allowed her through.

At first he just held her until they were so rudely interrupted by the others. He had so much he wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come. Eventually, though, that had changed. He had finally been able to tell her what he told the youkai within the Shikon no Tama before it was destroyed. She cried before they gently began to explore each other's bodies, and they finally made love.

InuYasha was still afraid for others to see them together. To the humans of the village he was her protector and nothing more. He still wore the kotodama so that they wouldn't fear him. In private, he was her lover and husband. Only Kaede, Miroku and Sango knew that they chose to wed. Even Shippou had been kept in the dark because he still wasn't able to keep his mouth shut. He was left babysitting Miroku and Sango's three kids when Kaede united them in wedlock with the ceremony from Kagome's time, and Miroku blessed their union. It was only out here in his forest that he could totally be himself with her. No longer was he afraid to touch her, afraid that she might break. He knew that she loved him, and that he loved her, and that she was never ashamed to be with him. Now her screams were in ecstasy, not out of anger or fear. Well, not fear, anyway. He still had to work on the anger thing sometimes.

"Hey," Kagome said as she stepped through the bushes.

The hanyou just beckoned with a finger – from that hand that could kill or bring incredible ecstasy.

"What took you so long?" he finally asked as she approached him, pulling off her miko robes in the process.

"I didn't think you'd be particularly happy if Shippou tagged along. I think you're going to have to talk to him. He's getting harder and harder-" she stopped and giggled.

InuYasha looked down at the tent in his hakama and grinned. "He's not the only one. Get over here."

Kagome smiled. They were alone. They had all night for their dance of lovers in the dark.


	17. Fast Forward

Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi.

This was written for the First Tweak community at LiveJournal. The prompt was "Management" and the requirement was 300+ words.

**Title**: **Fast Forward  
****Author**: doggieearlover  
**Rating**: G  
**Pairing**: Kagome/InuYasha (implied)  
**Warning**: Spoiler for Chapter 558  
**Summary**: Shortly before graduation, Kagome considers her time in the present and that in the past.

**Fast Forward**

_Time._

Thinking back, she'd managed, somehow. Living in the present, living in the Feudal Era, going to school, looking for jewel shards – it wasn't easy, but she'd somehow managed to squeeze everything in.

Kagome couldn't help but to tap her pencil on her desk. At least she had the eraser side down so that it wouldn't make those annoying clicking sounds. What was InuYasha doing now? Did he miss her? Had he moved on? Was he waiting?

Her attention was drawn back to the subject at hand - Time Management. The teacher was going on about the importance of attending classes, attending special cram schools, studying the subject at hand, how to use every waking minute of the day and every day of the week to prepare for college entrance exams – the list seemed endless.

She sighed as she glanced back at her paper and looked at what she'd doodled – a sketch of InuYasha. It wasn't all that recognizable, except for the ears. How he drove her insane when she wanted to come back to take a test, and how he drove her nuts when he wanted her to return to the past with him. But he protected her, with his very life, he'd always protected her. When she was lost in the darkness, he had come for her, and when their time was over, he'd safely returned her to her home before vanishing into the well.

_Time. _

There had to be a way, a way to go back.

The instructor tapped on the blackboard, drawing her attention back to it. It was all so – unimportant. Or at least it paled in comparison to fighting for your very life, for your very right to exist.

Kagome looked at the clock on the wall. This class would be over soon, and the next teacher would come in. More time in her safe school, more time preparing for her future. But where was her future? What did she want to be? Where did she want to be?

It had been nearly three long years back with her family. She loved them, but something was missing. She had lived more in that one year in the past with InuYasha, Miroku, Sango, and Shippou than she had attending school and diligently studying and passing all of her tests in the present for the past three. She was faithfully performing her duty as the good daughter and high school student, but she felt so empty.

_Time_.

In less than a month she would graduate high school. In less than a month she would be freed from this tedious schedule. She wanted to see InuYasha again, she wanted to see her other friends again. She wanted to return to a time where there were no clocks and no calendars. But first, she had to make her family proud. First, she had to finish what she had started.

_Time_.

Once her task here was complete, she would find a way. That would truly be an accomplishment. She had an understanding of time management that those around her could never comprehend. Somehow, she would find a way to truly manage time and return to the Feudal Era.

_Time_.

Now, she had a goal, an objective. Time had both separated her from those she loved, and it had returned her to those she loved. Right now she wished she could fast forward through it all.

_Time_.

Her heart told her she could wait a little longer. She must finish this as she had promised herself and her family.

_Time_.

After graduation, she would find her way back. After graduation, she would find a way to return to InuYasha.

_Time_.

After graduation, she would have all of the time in the world.

_Time_.

When she was ready, her heart would guide her. He was waiting, she was certain of it. She smiled.


	18. Itty Bitty, Teeny Weeny Red Bikini

**Disclaimers**: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi.

This was written for the FirstTweak community at LiveJournal. The prompt was "Bikini" and the requirement was that it be a drabble (300 word or less)

**Title: Itty Bitty, Teeny Weeny **_**Red**_** Bikini?  
Genre**: humor, romance  
**Rating**: T  
**Word** **count**: 300  
**Warning**: Language  
**Pairing**: InuYasha/Kagome  
**Summary**: With plans to go to a water park for the day, InuYasha needs proper swimwear.

**Itty Bitty, Teeny Weeny **_**Red**_** Bikini?**

"Kagome, what is this?" InuYasha asked, dangling a tiny piece of stretchy red fabric in front of him.

Kagome grinned. "That's for you, InuYasha."

The hanyou was staring at the offending garment as if it would bite him at any given moment. "What the fuck am I supposed to do with it?"

"We're going to a water park, and that's for you to wear." A frown replaced the smile. "You can't go commando in public, InuYasha."

"But… I might as well go naked! Look how little this thing is!" he argued.

"No, and that's final. You have to wear some sort of bathing suit and that one is yours - don't worry, it stretches. I've got to wear one, Souta has to wear one, and you have to wear one. End of story." Kagome had that look that told the hanyou he'd better not argue any more. "Now, go put it on."

InuYasha did as told. He had to admit, once he got it on, it wasn't too bad. It did stretch like she said and almost felt as though he was wearing nothing at all. "Hey, Kagome, is this right?"

Kagome's jaw fell slack when she saw him. Toned, tan and well-muscled, he looked like a god in the tiny red bikini. It was difficult to miss the impressive bulge in the front where it barely contained him.

"Is it okay?" he asked again. "It's better than I thought."

"You were right – you might as well be nude," Kagome said without thinking.

"Okay," the hanyou replied and stripped.

She smiled and suddenly had a better idea for how to spend the day – and it didn't involve strange women after _her_ hanyou. She stuck her head out and yelled, "Mama! We've changed our minds. You go on. We're staying home!"


	19. Ghost Busting, Feudal Style

**Disclaimers**: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi.

This was written for the First Tweak community at LiveJournal. The prompt was "ghost stories" and the requirement was that it be a oneshot (301 words or longer)

**Title: Ghost Busting, Feudal Style  
Genre**: romance, supernatural  
**Rating**: Y  
**Word Count**: 1748  
**Warnings**: Language, spoilers for end of manga  
**Summary**: At Shippou's insistence, InuYasha, Kagome and Miroku go in search of a vengeful spirit

**Ghost Busting, Feudal Style**

InuYasha couldn't help but to mumble, "Isn't anyone besides me the least bit suspicious that the runt is the one that came and told us about this?"

Miroku stoked the fire, causing it to flare up again as they waited. "I'm sorry. Did you say something, InuYasha?"

The hanyou didn't respond right way, so the miko softly asked, "What's troubling you, InuYasha?"

Kagome remained quiet while she waited for an answer, nestled comfortably against her husband's side. It was so strange traveling without Sango, but she had three children to take care of and was pregnant again. Miroku had jumped at the opportunity to check out the wandering soul when Shippou showed up and said that spiritual help was needed to put an angry ghost to rest. He insisted that both Kagome and Miroku come, and InuYasha wasn't letting his wife go anywhere without him, much less alone at night with that lecherous monk.

The hanyou squeezed her just a little tighter as he stared at an old well past Miroku. "I just think the timing is a bit funny, is all."

"Ah… you think our kitsune might be up to his old tricks, then?" the monk said as the words sunk in. "It _is_ about that time of the year, isn't it?"

"Huh?" Kagome asked. "What are you two talking about?"

"Kagome, I know you were away for three years, but don't you remember that night at the Kitsune Inn?" InuYasha questioned.

That brought a smile to her face. "Yeah – that was kind of fun, wasn't it?"

"Fun? If you call getting used by the little twerp to advance his ranking and getting sat because it annoyed me, I guess it was 'fun'," the hanyou replied sarcastically. "And you two just went along with it and helped them all get more points. Yeah, that was great time, all right."

"Now, now, InuYasha. We don't know if that is the case this time. There may indeed be an avenging spirit that needs our help to be put to rest," Miroku said in a calming tone.

The hanyou scoffed, "Keh, if you say so."

"Are we where he told us she was sighted?" Kagome asked.

"Keh. We're in the right place, I think. There's the well he told us about, and there's a house through those trees." InuYasha pointed in the direction of a path that was barely visible any more. With disuse, it had become overgrown.

"Is anyone in the house?" Miroku questioned.

"It doesn't smell as if anyone has been here in some time. I guess the _obake_ has scared anyone living away," InuYasha mused.

"I guess all we can do is wait and see if she makes an appearance tonight." Kagome rubbed her hands over her arms as a sudden chill enveloped her.

Miroku suddenly looked alert and sat up very straight. "Did you feel that?"

InuYasha felt his wife shudder under his arm. "What's the matter, Kagome?"

"I suddenly felt cold. You don't feel that?" she responded.

The hanyou turned loose of the miko and stood. Something made the hair on the back of his neck stand up and a low growl spilled from him. "There's something coming from over there." He indicated the old well.

Kagome and Miroku rose to stand alongside him, facing the structure.

"A beautiful woman," Miroku commented as a ghostly apparition emerged from the well. "Maybe you were right about Shippou having something to do with this."

Kagome shuddered with a flash of fear as the young lady began to count, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine…"

InuYasha gripped the hilt of his sword. He hated to admit that this unknown frightened him more than an oni did, though he muttered under his breath, "I ain't afraid of no ghosts."

Miroku was still watching in fascination as the maid broke into gut-wrenching sobs. However, no hostile movements were made and eventually, she disappeared back into the well.

"What the fuck was that?" InuYasha asked. "Shippou might have gained a few points, but I don't know how."

"InuYasha, I think she was real," Kagome said softly. "I remember this story."

"What?" the hanyou and monk responded together.

"There is an old legend about Okiku, who was a maid to a samurai. There are varying reasons as to why he did it, but he murdered her and tossed her body into a well. She did this every night and eventually drove him insane. Miroku, there really is a body, or used to be one, in that well. She's doomed to do this until she feels avenged if we can't put her to rest. I guess driving the samurai crazy wasn't enough since she's still here. That's probably why the house was abandoned – no one can bear to hear her every night."

"So Shippou wasn't just trying to use us to increase his ranking, after all," Miroku commented. "Not that I blame InuYasha for being suspicious. Perhaps there will be a reward for helping her to move on so that the house can be used again."

"You could certainly use payment with all of those mouths to feed." InuYasha couldn't help but to smirk.

"Now, don't you feel badly for suspecting Shippou like that?" Kagome gently chided.

The hanyou sounded a bit irritated when he replied, "You didn't have to deal with him for three years while you were in school. So are you guys going to take care of this now, or what?"

"We'll take care of the _yurei_ in the morning, while she rests. Then we can check the village to find out who owns the property and see if there is a reward offered." Miroku settled back down in front of the fire. "Now that we know what we're dealing with, let's get some rest."

Eager to get their task completed so they could get back on the road, InuYasha roused Miroku and Kagome awake shortly after dawn. The hanyou was given the unpleasant task of going down into the well and recovering the remains of the girl, which now consisted only of bones and scraps of fabric of the clothing she was wearing when she was murdered. The monk and miko gave her a proper burial with InuYasha's aid, though his help was more of the physical variety in that someone had to dig the grave.

The hanyou and miko remained near the well and fresh grave as Miroku went into the village to find out more about who owned the property. He returned with a man who said they would indeed be rewarded if the apparition was truly gone. Much to InuYasha's chagrin, that involved remaining another night to verify that the young maiden would not appear again. It also annoyed him because with the man and the two others from the village he'd brought with him to stay by the well all night, the hanyou couldn't show any signs of affection towards his own wife, or she him. After all, just because the humans in their own village accepted them didn't mean that any others would.

They were all tired the following morning when the sun began to creep upwards on the horizon. They stayed awake all night, but for the first time since she had been killed and thrown into the well, Okiku did not rise from it. Satisfied that the haunting spirit was indeed gone, the man thanked them and sent them on their way with a cart laden with bales of rice and fresh vegetables. Kagome was also able to acquire some herbs that grew in the area that were difficult to come by near her own village. With many thanks from Kagome and Miroku, and a grumpy hanyou towing the cart, they were on their way home.

Pulling the cart slowed them down. In addition, everyone was tired from a night with no sleep, so they took an extra day getting home. Even InuYasha did not complain because though he was weary and wanted to sleep in his own bed, at least he could hold Kagome in his arms again while she slept. He did not see the smile that graced the monk's face as he watched them from his own bedding. Miroku was glad to see InuYasha truly happy, as he clearly was now that he was married to the miko he had loved for so long.

They crested the last hill and their own village came into view. They were making their way along the road when Shippou suddenly appeared in front of them. "Hey! Where did you guys go! You never showed up like you promised you would!"

The three of them stopped and Miroku stood his staff on the ground in front of him. "Whatever do you mean, Shippou? We followed your directions and found the _yurei_ that you told us about. We laid her to rest and collected the reward."

"No you didn't!" the kitsune exclaimed. "Wait a minute, what?"

"We went to where you told us to, runt. There was a ghost, just like you said, and it was taken care of." InuYasha crossed his arms in front of him and glared.

"But I didn't see you! You never came! You were supposed to-" Shippou abruptly cut himself off.

"Supposed to what?" Kagome asked. "We found the well and the house, just like you said."

"But that was just a story!" the kit blurted out. "It doesn't really exist!"

"I knew it!" the hanyou bellowed as he took off after Shippou. "Come back here, you little runt!"

"So, InuYasha was right, after all, and we just accidentally came across a real spirit that a legend was based on. Got a nice reward for our trouble, though." Miroku couldn't help but to chuckle. "But it is nice to be back home."

"Yeah, it is," Kagome responded

"So did things seem to change a lot while you were away those three years?" Miroku asked.

Kagome smiled as she watched her hanyou chase the kitsune. "It seems like the more things change, the more they stay the same."

Miroku nodded in agreement as his twin daughters came out to join in "catch the kitsune" though they ended up catching InuYasha instead.

As the hanyou attempted to walk with a small girl attached to each leg, the monk couldn't help but to add, "He'll be a great father some day."

Kagome rubbed her belly. Soon she would have to tell her husband her news. "Yeah, he will be."

_finis_

_Obake_: ghost

_Yurei_: ghosts of those who did not have time to obtain spiritual calmness before the moment of death. They most commonly consist of those who were murdered, killed in battle, or suddenly committed suicide.

_The Story of Okiku_: Okiku was a maid that worked for the Samurai Tessan Aoyama. It was said that she was dusting ten dishes that were family heirlooms and accidentally broke one of them. In his rage, he murdered her and threw her body down the well. Every night thereafter, she rose from the well and counted to nine before breaking into heart-rending sobs. She tormented the samurai every night until he went insane. Another account of the story say that he wanted her as his mistress, but she refused and he killed her, using the broken plate as an excuse. There are numerous versions of the story, but they all have her counting to nine before breaking into howling and sobs.


	20. Death by Sake

Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi.

This was written for the First Tweak community at LiveJournal. The prompt was "hangover" and the requirement was that it be a drabble (300 words or less).

**Title: Death by Sake**  
**Rating**: T  
**Warning**: Language  
**Word count**: 300  
**Summary**: InuYasha wakes up hungover in Kagome's room. What happened?  
**Additional notes**: This piece is a follow up to Bouquets Aren't Always Flowers

**Death by Sake**

Thud.

InuYasha found himself unceremoniously on the floor of Kagome's room. "Oi, what happened?"

He heard a giggle from the bed above him. A wild tangle of black silken curls spilled over the side followed by one blue-grey eye peering over the edge. "You fell out of bed, silly."

The hanyou started to get up but immediately lay back down. Wrapping his hands over his eyes he muttered, "What the hell happened, and why do I smell like a cask of sake?" _'She's gonna kill me.'_

"Don't you remember?" Kagome asked, trying to hold back her tears. She didn't know if she could take him not recalling anything about the previous evening.

Uh oh. _'Fuck – what happened last night?'_ the hanyou asked himself. Gods it was hard to think; his head was throbbing so. But he knew he'd better remember before she started to cry.

Then he realized his heart was pounding as loudly as his head was. In addition, he wasn't bathed just in the scent of sake, the fragrance he knew was unique to Kagome was clinging to him as well - that exclusive bouquet that was hers and hers alone. _'Bouquet – I was drinking with the old man. Oh, shit.'_

He pried his fingers far enough apart to peer through them and see that he was still fully clothed. "Kagome?"

Silence.

"Kagome? I'm sorry. Just forget it, okay?"

Sniffle. "What if I don't want to?" she questioned quietly.

"But we didn't… did we?" he anxiously replied.

"You kissed me, carried me to bed, and fell asleep," she answered.

The hanyou breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not." Kagome rolled over and landed on top, facing him.

"Not for kissing you – for passing out."

"Good answer. Now kiss me, my hung-over hanyou."

"Kagome… oh, fuck…"

"Later."


	21. With Patience

Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi. Any original characters do belong to me.

This was written for the monthly contest at the Hajimeru club at deviantART. The August prompt was "Empty."

**Title: With Patience  
**Rating: G  
Genre: vignette  
Type: Canon  
Pairing: InuYasha/Kagome (implied)  
Word count: 487  
Summary: It's been three years since the Shikon no Tama was destroyed. InuYasha ponders the last three years as he waits by the well.

**With Patience**

InuYasha sighed as he looked over the edge of the well. _'Still empty.'_ He jumped in just to make sure it had not started working again. However, just as every other time he'd visited, he landed at the bottom, still in his own time.

He leapt back out and settled on his knees, resting his forearms on the ancient wooden framework and his chin on his hands. The hanyou gazed wistfully into the structure, willing it to reopen. He went through this same routine every three days. Every time he came he wished that there would be a change, and even after three years, he had not given up hope.

InuYasha longed to see the miko from the future again. More than anything, he wanted to be reunited with her, for he had come to understand that the well wasn't the only thing that felt empty. His heart and his very soul suffered from a void, too. There was a large hole that only Kagome could fill.

He knew it was for the best when he returned her to her era after he had rescued her from the darkness. She had been scared to be trapped all alone in the emptiness of the Shikon no Tama, which wanted her to become ensnared in it forever with Naraku in order to begin a new battle. The hanyou had given her the hope and strength to purify the jewel, and then he'd taken her home. He'd left after seeing her safely in the arms of her mother, grandfather, and little brother. As much as he needed her with him, he understood that they loved her and needed her too.

He spent his days helping Miroku eradicate troublesome youkai for a fee or helping out around the village where he was needed. The hanyou even allowed Miroku and Sango's twin girls to play with him, though it was more like torment him if he was honest about it. However, they did not fill the hollowness that he felt without Kagome. If anything, they made him realize what he was missing and that in spite of his friends, he was lonely.

Kaede had surmised that Kagome's purpose was probably to vanquish the Shikon no Tama, and once it was gone there was no longer a reason for her to remain. But InuYasha still held hope. When he was trapped in the Meidou and was looking for her, he realized her fate was to meet him, and his to meet her. He knew, if he waited, if he did not give up hope, she would return. The hanyou was certain that Kagome felt like there was something missing just as he did – that there was an emptiness that needed to be filled. He had to believe that her heart felt the same ache that his experienced. If nothing else over the last three years, he had learned patience. And so he would wait.


	22. Wash Away the Pain

Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi. Any original characters do belong to me.

This was written for the That Time – Again club contest at deviantART. The August prompt was Rain.

**Title: Wash Away The Pain  
Genre:** Angst  
**Type:** Canon, Vignette  
**Character:** InuYasha  
**Summary:** InuYasha considers his feelings during a summer storm. Takes place between Manga Chapters 557 and 558.

**Wash Away the Pain**

InuYasha sat high in his favorite tree and allowed the downpour to wash over him. His ears were plastered to his head in an attempt to keep the water out of them, but that was the only action to reflect that he'd even noticed the thunderstorm. His mane and clothing were drenched and plastered to his body, and he made no effort to stop the drops from streaming down his face.

He wanted to roar his frustrations, but he continued to sit in silence in the deluge. Here, in the rain, no one would see the tears streaming from his closed eyes to be washed away. No one would see the pain that he suffered every time he returned to the well to find it remained closed to him, and he was still separated from Kagome.

The hanyou did not go through the ritual every time it rained, but sometimes it became too much and it was his only outlet. Kaede seemed to understand, but she believed that Kagome had returned to her world for good. Miroku was busy with Sango and his two brand new daughters. That thought made InuYasha smirk – that the once-cursed lecherous monk's first child ended up being beautiful twin girls. And then the ache returned, for the monk was happily married with a family. Was that something that InuYasha ever would have, or was he destined to be alone? The first woman he'd ever loved had died in his arms, and the second he safely returned to her own family before coming back to his era alone.

InuYasha couldn't help but to think about Kagome nearly every day. There was always something to remind him of her and thus was the foundation of his pain. But in spite of her absence, he still had the things she'd left with him, the things that he'd learned. And suddenly, he remembered that the tears he shed for her was one of the gifts she had given him. He recalled that it was only because of Kagome that he had come to care for others and had friends, friends that he could rely on and that he could trust. He was no longer alone, no longer an outcast.

He wiped his face and looked up at the sun breaking through the clouds. It appeared that the summer storm was over. It was time to wash away this pain. Kagome wasn't dead – she had not died in his arms. She was at home with her grandfather, mother, and brother. She was safe, which was what he had always wanted for her. The hanyou smiled. He would wait for the miko from the future to return, for he was certain that fate had intended for them to be together. In the meantime, he would recollect and use the lessons he had learned from her. Yes, he would still be lonely sometimes, and he would continue to check the well regularly. But he did have companions that could help fill his days until she came back to him. He would help Miroku with his youkai eradications and around the village as needed since the villagers were no longer afraid of him – something else he could thank the young miko for. And then there was the added bonus of the fact that if Shippou annoyed him too much, he could drop-kick the kitsune all the way to the river and not hear a single "Osuwari!" A large grin crossed his face as he shook himself off and then headed towards Miroku's hut to rescue the monk from diaper duty. He would wait for his miko, but in the meantime, there were places to go and youkai to kill.


	23. Measure a Treasure

Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi. I also make no claims on the song "Silver and Gold." It belongs to St. Nicholas Music and Johnny Marks.

This was written for the September contest at the Hajimeru club at deviantART. The prompt was "Silver and Gold". Thanks to inufan625 for beta'ing as always.

**Title: Measure a Treasure  
****Genre**: General, Romance  
**Type**: Canon  
**Rating**: T  
**Warning**: Post Chapter 558  
**Summary**: Kagome ponders the changes in InuYasha and Sesshomaru's relationship.

**Measure a Treasure**

Kagome wondered what prompted the lyrics from an American Christmas special, and an old one at that, to suddenly pop into her head. Why would she be thinking about something from "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" at the end of summer? She smiled as she looked at InuYasha talking quietly to his brother. _'Silver and gold, that must be why,'_ she thought to herself. Hair that was various shades of while and silver blew gently with the breeze, framing faces that contained eyes the color of molten gold. _'They really are like a treasure. There is no way to measure their worth. InuYasha means the world to me. I knew I could not be happy if I were not by his side. I'd choose him over any fortune. It would not matter how wealthy I was without him to protect me and love me. That was why the well reopened and allowed us to be together again.'_

The young miko studied the impassive face of the older, taller sibling. She wasn't certain what had happened between the two, though she had been slowly but surely encouraging InuYasha to make amends with his brother. They did not fight after the Shikon no Tama had been purified, but instead they tended to try and pretend the other was not there. However, when Sesshoumaru was on his way to visit Rin after Kagome's return to the Feudal Era, she had abruptly and loudly reminded the two of their relationship by calling out to the Daiyoukai, "Brother-in-Law!" as he flew by. The glares that one comment brought her from each of them might have made her angry when she was younger, but she was so happy to be back and to be with InuYasha that she just smiled and waved.

Kagome knew that the elder sibling must have some faith in his brother since he had left Rin in the care of Kaede. She was pretty certain he would not leave the child just anywhere because he doted on her like a father that's forced to travel a lot. Sesshoumaru was always dropping by with gifts for her. While some may have thought he was courting her, Kagome was fairly certain he was feeling something that he wasn't used to – guilt. He knew it was in Rin's best interests to be in the care of humans rather than wandering the countryside with him, so he had left her with the old miko. And as many men who had to travel on business did, he was always bringing something back. She just couldn't see that the Daiyoukai was courting a ten year old girl. She could see him keeping an eye on her, and then when she was of age, on any potential suitors.

"Oi, what are you grinning at?" InuYasha asked as he approached her.

Kagome snapped her head up, startled. "I was just thinking, that's all."

"That's a scary thought," InuYasha muttered. "What bright ideas have you got for me and the asshole now?"

Kagome held her hand up and the hanyou pulled her to her feet. "I know you don't think of your brother that way any more, so you might as well quit pretending."

InuYasha just raised his eyebrows.

"I can tell by your posture when you two are talking. You're not on guard like you used to be; you're relaxed. You two are comfortable with each other whether you want to admit it or not. Will you tell me what happened?" Kagome asked softly.

"I never could hide much from you," the hanyou replied. "I'll tell you, if you'll tell me what you were thinking about."

"You go first," Kagome insisted.

InuYasha knew he wouldn't win, and he was surprised she hadn't already found out, anyway. "I pulled Rin out of the river - that's all."

Kagome gave him that look that let him know he wasn't done yet. "I know there's more to it than that."

"Do you remember when the river was up because of all of the rain? Well, Rin isn't afraid of anything. I'm not certain what that girl was trying to do, but the next thing I knew she was being swept away. I went after her and pulled her out and told her not to go near it again while the water was so high. I guess she told the bas- my brother about it." The hanyou fell silent.

"Did he thank you?" Kagome asked.

"Not exactly – but he acted differently after that. And then he asked me to help him kill some troublesome youkai in his territory – you remember when that happened," InuYasha prompted.

"Yeah, I thought he just wanted Tessaiga's abilities. So there was more to it – he was kind of trying to show you he accepts you," Kagome pondered.

InuYasha just nodded. "We've gotten along okay. It's been kind of weird. So, what were you thinking about?"

"Would you believe an old Christmas song? It goes:

_Silver and gold, silver and gold  
Everyone wishes for silver and gold.  
How do you measure its worth?  
Just by the pleasure it gives here on earth._

I was just thinking what a treasure you are," she answered.

InuYasha grinned and pulled her to him – he knew Sesshoumaru was long gone and they were all alone. One hand threaded through her hair to cup her head while the other wrapped around her back. His lips found hers and he kissed her thoroughly before leaving a trail of soft kisses from the corner of her mouth to her ear and then down her neck. He felt her shudder in anticipation. "So were you thinking about the measure by pleasure part?"

The miko moaned as he continued working his way towards her cleavage. "I was actually thinking about the silver and gold part, but pleasure works." She cupped his face and pulled it back to hers as he lowered her to the thick grass.

The hanyou drew away just enough to look into her eyes filled with love and lust. "I can live with that." And then his mouth found hers again.

_finis_

"Silver and Gold" from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer  
© 1964, 1970 St. Nicholas Music Inc.  
Words and Music by Johnny Marks


	24. Red is the Color

Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi.

This was written for the FirstTweak community at LiveJournal. The prompt was "Red" and the requirement was that it be a oneshot (301 words or more). As always, thanks to inufan625 for beta'ing.

**Title: Red is the Color…  
****Genre**: General, Romance  
**Type**: Canon  
**Pairing**: Kagome/InuYasha  
**Rating**: T  
**Word count**: 1632  
**Warning**: Post Manga, Sexual references  
**Summary**: Kagome thinks of the different meanings the color red has in her life.

**Red is the Color…**

Kagome stopped and closed her eyes, breathing in the fresh cool air of the crisp autumn day. She thought it was probably October, though honestly, she didn't try to keep track so much any more. Opening her eyes, she decided to stop and rest for a few minutes. She had walked a little further than she had originally intended, but Kaede needed the herbs she had in her basket. Setting it down, along with her quiver and bow, she unfolded the cloth she had with her and then sat down.

She couldn't help but to admire the splendor of the wilderness spread out before her. Even now, in the Feudal Era, there were Japanese maples scattered in the shade of larger trees. The beautiful plants were said to have been cultivated as far back as the seventh century in their native land. While modern Japan may have more varieties in a wider selection of colors, she didn't think that any really were more beautiful the glorious red foliage of the trees in front of her.

_Red_. She had to admit that she loved the color, and it had so many different meanings to her. Red was the color of the traditional miko robes, robes that earlier in her life she'd only thought she'd ever wear around the shrine when they were in costume for special events. Her fingers danced across the fabric of her hakama. She remembered the first time she'd had them on in the Feudal Era because her modern clothing was drying. She smiled as she remembered InuYasha telling her to take them off, earning him an "Osuwari." She would later come to learn that she reminded him too much of Kikyou in them back then. He didn't want her take them off so he could see her naked, he just wanted her to wear something else. For the longest time the red and white traditional robes reminded her that she could never be as good as Kikyou in his eyes. In fact, her own eyes seemed to be red an awful lot from crying over the hanyou. Either they were red from her tears, or she was seeing red with anger. She shook her head to dislodge those unpleasant memories. Those days were long past.

_Seeing Red._ That phrase had been given a new meaning when InuYasha's youkai blood overtook his body in order to save him. Considering all of the changes that occurred when that happened – the markings on his face, the longer claws, the deepening of his voice – those blood red eyes were the most alarming. They were so cold and calculating and made him look murderous – there was no other way to describe it. She'd heard the term used to describe being angry, but that didn't even begin to cover the state the hanyou was in when his eyes were that color. Fortunately, he had not undergone that transformation since the time he was affected by the tainted jewel in Naraku's body. His youkai blood had remained under control, and she had not seen the blood red eyes since then.

_Blood Red._ Oh, how much blood had she seen? How many times had she had to patch up her hanyou after a battle? Or even Sango, Miroku, herself or a total stranger? InuYasha would declare that he'd be fine, and she'd insist on cleaning his wounds and bandaging him anyway. Then there was the blood of those that died, blood spilled from a battle or a fight. It seemed like some of the battlefields they'd had to cross were drenched in it. So much of the blood that had been shed had been pointless – innocent villagers caught up in a fight between warring daimyo or shogun. They were fortunate that so far their little village was remote enough that no one of real power had shown any genuine interest in it. While they were self sufficient, they didn't have anything worth taking.

However, they did seem to have an increase recently in births. While the young miko still had to help patch up those who managed to injure themselves one way or another, usually in a farming accident, most of the blood she saw these days was that of birthing. Much to her surprise as well as to that of InuYasha and the others, Kagome was considered something of a good luck charm in the village. She was welcomed at births and other events in the village, at least by most. There were always a few that wouldn't agree with her marriage to the hanyou, but it wasn't nearly as many as he had feared. In fact, it was only a handful at best. The young miko had to admit she'd wondered how much red tape she'd have to go through to be allowed to be with him.

_Red tape._ Now there was something she didn't miss at all. She knew her family saw enough of it trying to get her through middle school graduation since she missed so much school. She really was afraid she'd have to jump through hoops of some kind to get into high school, but fortunately her entrance exam grade was acceptable, and one of the high schools had an opening. She was glad she had made it through and made her family proud, but she had to admit she really didn't miss it that much. Yes, she missed her family of course, but she didn't miss the bustle of life there. Everything was so much simpler here.

_Red hair._ Now where had that thought come from? There had been a boy with bright red hair in her class her final year, and she sometimes wondered if he was a kitsune in disguise. If not, he should have been considering some of the pranks he'd pulled. Kagome actually giggled. She had to admit she liked red hair, especially when it was really the bright orangey-red fur that covered her favorite fox child. Shippou had gotten better about not teasing InuYasha, though the fact she hadn't been there for three years had probably helped. Without her interference, he'd had to learn on his own not to push the hanyou too far. InuYasha had never really hurt him, but he'd made it clear that there were boundaries. The kitsune had pushed his luck a couple of times since Kagome had returned, but Kaede had warned her to not interfere if she didn't want serious problems later. The younger miko had heeded the elder miko's advice, and things had worked themselves out. It was probably a good thing, too, or she could have just seen Shippou bursting in on them during their wedding night.

_Red Virgin_. Well, it might have supposed to have been a poem by a French philosopher, but the title reminded her of her wedding night. She blushed at the remembrance of their first time together. They were both so unsure of themselves and had no experience. Saying it was awkward would have been an understatement. InuYasha had panicked and almost fled when he first made love to her and then caught the scent of her blood. She thought it was a minor miracle that she still had a hymen, considering everything she'd been through. Kagome had grabbed him by the hair and practically yanked him back to her so she could explain that it was perfectly natural and had to happen. However, he'd insisted on waiting for her to heal before he would do anything more than hold and kiss her. A few nights later, well, all she could remember was _wow_! By then they were both ready to explode, and they did. She wasn't certain who was more vocal that night, her or her hanyou. They may have still been a little clumsy, but they made up for it with passion and exuberance.

"Hey, what are you doing out here all alone?" a familiar voice called from behind her.

"InuYasha! You're back already?" Kagome responded as she climbed to her feet and brushed herself off.

"Yeah, it didn't take long for Miroku to smoke out the youkai and for me to kill it. I brought a bale of rice back for you along with some herbs I thought might be useful for healing or cooking – they ought to be good for something," the hanyou said. "You didn't answer me though, what are you doing out here by yourself?"

Kagome reached up to give him a peck on the lips. "I had been out gathering herbs to help Kaede's arthritis. It took me longer than I thought, and I'd walked further than I realized so I sat down to rest for a few minutes. I got caught up looking at the landscape. Aren't the trees beautiful?"

"If you say so." InuYasha glanced at the brilliant shades of red that dotted the tree line. "Do those remind you of home?"

"Not so much – I just love the color. Do you think in the spring we might could move a couple of small ones near the house? The leaves are so pretty and so red in the fall."

"Like red, do you?" InuYasha couldn't help but to grin.

Kagome leaned over and picked up her basket and held it against her hip with her left hand so she could hold the hanyou's hand with her right once she had her quiver and bow in place. "You know I do."

And she did. InuYasha habitually dressed in his red hakama and firerat. More than anything, the color red reminded her of him. "In fact, I think it's my favorite color. I can't get enough of it."

The hanyou turned into her and captured her lips for another kiss. "Well, let's go home and work on that."

Kagome smiled in return. "I'd like that."


	25. Leaves of Happiness

Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi.

**This was written for the First Tweak community at LiveJournal. The prompt was "Leaves" and the requirement was that it be a drabble (300 words or less).**

**Title: Leaves of Happiness  
****Type**: Canon  
**Rating**: G  
**Pairing**: InuYasha/Kagome  
**Word** **Count**: 299  
**Warning**: Fluff and silliness  
**Summary**: InuYasha finds Kagome happily playing in leaves.

**Leaves of Happiness**

"What in the world are you doing, woman?" InuYasha asked, amused at the sight before him.

Kagome was in the middle of a huge pile of leaves, thrashing around and throwing them like a kid. "Come on, InuYasha. It's fun!"

The hanyou looked at her like she'd grown a second head.

Kagome stopped what she was doing. "Didn't you ever do this when you were little?"

He just shook his head in response. "I might have used a pile of leaves to hide from something trying to kill me, but I never threw them around like that. Where'd you get so many of them, anyway?"

"Those steady winds we've had the last couple of days blew them against the line of bushes here," the miko said. "When I was a child, I used to get into the piles of leaves that Jii-chan had swept up around the shrine. He finally realized I did it when I was happy about something, so he'd ask me why before he made me help clean them back up."

"So why are you happy, Kagome?" InuYasha asked.

She grinned. "Come and help me, and maybe I'll tell you."

Shaking his head, InuYasha sat down next to her and half-heartedly starting flinging leaves.

"Not like that - like this!" she exclaimed as she scooped both hands together and threw them upwards, so that the leaves were raining down on them.

Mostly to humor his wife, the hanyou copied her and threw a huge number into the air, including something that was much bigger and much more colorful than any of the leaves.

"What was that?" he asked as he reached to snag it on its way down.

"That is why I'm happy."

InuYasha stared at the tiny kimono in his hands. "You mean…"

She nodded.


	26. First Rites

Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi.

This was written for First Tweak. The prompt was Shichi Go San and the requirement was that it be a drabble (300 words or less)

**Title: First Rites  
Type**: Canon  
**Word Count**: 300  
**Rating**: G  
**Pairing**: InuYasha/Kagome  
**Summary**: It is autumn in the Feudal Era and time for the annual Shichi Go San celebration.

* * *

**First Rites**

"I don't know why I'm so nervous. I've done this before," Kagome commented.

"It's your first time to do it alone, though," InuYasha speculated.

She nodded in agreement. "I just wish Kaede hadn't fallen ill."

"It couldn't be helped," InuYasha said, uneasily twitching his ear. "Come on. It's not a good idea to make them wait."

The young priestess anxiously ran her hands down her sides one last time and walked with her husband to the shrine.

Her fears vanished as the first participants in the day's celebration approached her. Miroku was dressed in his robes while Sango was dressed in a kimono, carrying their son. However, what really made her smile were the two formally dressed little girls. The twins had turned three this year, and Kagome's first solo ceremony as a miko was to pray with the family for the toddlers to grow into healthy children. The only hitch in the ritual had been when the girls spotted InuYasha, cried, "Doggy!" and ran towards him. Miroku had to chase them down and carry them back.

The rest of the day was pleasant and uneventful. The villagers who had children the ages of three, five and seven came throughout the day, bringing offerings to the shrine as Kagome said prayers with them while InuYasha watched from nearby.

"I can't believe everyone actually came," InuYasha commented when the day was over.

"Why?" Kagome asked.

The hanyou remained silent, but his eyes fell on the swell of her abdomen.

"You were afraid…"

He nodded.

She rubbed her belly. "InuYasha, we're married. They knew this was bound to happen."

"That doesn't mean they have to like it," he whispered.

Kagome replied, "They understand that we were meant to be together."

The hanyou shyly smiled. Even he had begun to believe in fate.

* * *

**Shichi Go San (Seven Five Three) **– Japanese celebration for girls age three and seven and boys aged three and five to pray for good health and growth. The observance takes place on November 15th, though when the date falls during the week it is usually on the weekend before or after since it is not a national holiday. Children of that age are dressed in their finest and taken to a Shinto Shrine. Boys age five wear hakama in public for the first time, and girls age seven are given a traditional obi to replace the simple cords they wear until that time. Girls age three wear a special padded vest called a _hifu_ with their kimono. After the ceremony they are given a bag with a crane and turtle on it, which represents long life, which contains three, five, or seven pieces of _Chitose ame (_thousand years candy). It is a long thin red and white candy stick that represents longevity. The practice was started by the nobility during the Heian Period, but by the Edo period the custom had spread to the commoners.


	27. View to a Chill

**Disclaimer:** I don't own InuYasha or any of the anime/manga characters. I just enjoy making them play with each other.

This was written for the First Tweak community at LiveJournal. The prompt was "Chill" and the requirement was that it be a oneshot (300+ words).

Thanks so much to Licentia_Poetica for her help with this piece! I appreciate her suggestions, which includes the title (which we all know I suck at).

**Title**:** View to a Chill  
Type**: Canon  
**Pairing**: InuYasha/Kagome  
**Rating**: T  
**Word Count**: 1031  
**Warnings**: nudity, sexual suggestiveness  
**Summary**: Kagome gets a cold awakening when InuYasha participates in a ritual still known in her era.

**View to a Chill**

"InuYasha! Are you ready?" Miroku called from outside the hut the hanyou shared with Kagome.

InuYasha had brought in a load of firewood and was stacking it in its place. "Just a minute! I have to get the fire going good for Kagome."

"Well, hurry! We don't want to miss the start! There was a good snow last night – the first of the season," the monk informed him.

"What is it, InuYasha? Do you and Miroku have to go out after a youkai?" Kagome sleepily asked, peeping up at him from the futon. "In this weather?" She burrowed back under the covers, refusing to move until the hut was a little warmer.

"No, not exactly." InuYasha chuckled as he finished his chore and began to strip out of his clothing.

Puzzled, the miko sat up, clutching the blankets to her chest. "Did you get your clothes wet? Why don't you hang them by the fire to dry and come back to bed?"

The hanyou knelt down in front of his wife and kissed her on the cheek. "Why don't you stay there and keep warm? I'll be back in a little while."

He stood back up and finished stripping – completely.

"InuYasha! You can't go out like that! Don't make me put those beads back on you!" she threatened.

"Hurry up, InuYasha! They're waiting on us to get started!" Miroku shouted. "Come on, I'm getting cold just standing around!"

"Oh, my word," Kagome whispered as she realized her beautiful hanyou was going out into the freezing cold in his birthday suit, "is Miroku…?" She gestured vaguely at his bare body.

"Naked as the day he was born," the hanyou quipped with a feral grin as he went to join the monk.

Unable to believe it, Kagome hesitantly climbed off of the futon, though she kept her blankets wrapped around her. She moved to the door and pushed the covering aside, only to stumble back as she hastily let it fall in place. However, curiosity won out, and she cautiously stepped outside to see the backsides of all of the healthy men of the village jogging away from her. While a few wore a fundoshi, the vast majority had on nothing at all.

Not certain whether to laugh or cry that Inuyasha was out streaking with the village men in the snow, the miko returned to the warmth of her fire to dress and start a pot of stew. One thing she was certain of, when her husband returned he'd be cold and want something to warm him up.

Her body flushed, and she realized it had nothing to do with the heat of the fire. She laughed softly to herself when she realized she'd turned into as bad a hentai as the monk – at least when it came to her husband. Just thinking about his well-toned body and what it could do to hers made her burn with her passion for him. Warm him up? She knew how she'd _like_ to warm him up once he returned.

When the hanyou reappeared an hour or so later, he wasn't just cold, he was soaking wet. And he seemed inordinately pleased about it.

Worried that he might catch a chill even if he was half youkai, Kagome hurriedly wrapped him in a blanket and then found a towel to dry his hair. "Don't come whining to me if you get sick," she fussed as she worried over him.

"I haven't before, and I didn't have you here to take care of me when I got back," he stated.

Kagome stopped what she was doing. "What! You mean you've done this before?"

"Every year since we defeated Naraku," he informed her, "though I didn't spend as much time in the river purifying myself as I did this year."

"InuYasha! Why would you try to purify yourself? You don't want to be human – do you?" the miko worriedly asked.

The hanyou shook his head. "It's not that kind of purification. It's more like the purification trough that you had at the shrine – except that we use the river. It's kind of a test of manhood, and we also pray for good health, good luck and good fortune for our families and ourselves for the upcoming year. I never was much of a believer in that stuff, but I figured it couldn't hurt. I mean, it took a while, but you finally came back to me. So if running naked in the snow is good luck, I can manage. Besides, I'm not a puny human. You should see what the cold does to Miroku's—" He abruptly stopped himself, blushing.

"Miroku's what?" Kagome asked and then suddenly giggled. "Oh!"

"So you don't have anything like this in your era?" InuYasha asked, looking away from her with his ears slightly flattened.

"Well, we do—"

"Then what did you throw such a fuss about?" he interrupted.

The miko snickered. "You didn't let me finish. They have a number of what they call "Naked Man Festivals" in the winter, but the men aren't really naked. At least they wear their fundoshi when they go running through the streets!"

"Bunch of wimps," the hanyou commented snidely.

"So running naked in the snow and jumping in the river makes you a real man?" she questioned, though she was trying not to laugh and he caught her dubious expression.

"In their eyes it does," he responded quietly.

"But you did it for me," she commented, beginning a slow, warm smile.

The hanyou nodded.

"To keep me safe and healthy and happy," she pressed, walking toward him.

"Keh." The hanyou held her gaze but his cheeks tinged slightly pink.

"Do you know what would really make me happy right now?" Kagome asked, whispering in his ear and almost giggling as goosebumps appeared on his bare shoulders.

InuYasha looked at her hungrily but shook his head.

The miko sauntered over to the futon and dropped her yukata. Quickly climbing under the pile of blankets, she shivered a bit and allowed him to see her body's reaction to the cold air. "Come back to bed. I'm chilly."

The hanyou grinned. "See, I'm being blessed already."


	28. Going Home

**Disclaimers**: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi.

This was written for the First Tweak community at LiveJournal. The prompt was "New Beginnings" and the requirement was that it be a drabble (300 words or less).

**Title: Going Home  
Type**: Canon  
**Genre**: drama, angst  
**Rating**: G  
**Word count**: 300  
**Summary**: They say you can never go back – but sometimes you have to.

**Going Home**

"You wished your way back to me, so I know you can do it," InuYasha said as he and Kagome stood next to the well. "It's time to return to your era."

A tear trailed down Kagome's cheek. "InuYasha…"

"You know it isn't safe for you here any more. It was my mistake to think…" the hanyou's voice trailed away.

"But it was only a few," she challenged.

He shook his head vehemently. "I can hear the whispers. Some want to kill the abomination before it's even born. Kagome, I can't protect you every minute of the day. You'll be safe this way."

"But Sango, Miroku… they'll help," she argued again.

InuYasha wiped her cheek with the pad of his thumb. "They agreed that this was for the best. They'll miss you, but your safety comes first. Kagome, there isn't anywhere where a miko married to a hanyou would be safe. We'd always be on the run with someone trying to kill us. I've lived that life already."

She rubbed the swell of her abdomen as her tears fell freely. "But I wanted to be here with you, in your era."

"No, we have to do this. The villagers can no longer tell themselves that we aren't really married – that I'm only your protector. I'm afraid it's now or it might be never… just remember… if for some reason… just remember that I love you. More than anything, I need to know you're safe," the hanyou said urgently.

"But you're coming with me," the miko whispered.

"Just in case… just in case it doesn't…"

"InuYasha!" She wrapped her arms tightly around him. "It'll work for both of us – it _has_ too."

"I hope you're right." He carefully picked her up, jumped up on the edge of the well, and leaped.


	29. Barely Dawn

Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi.

Written for the FirstTweak community at LiveJournal. The prompt was "Dawn" and the limit was 300 words.

**Title: Barely Dawn  
****Rating**: G  
**Character**: InuYasha  
**Word Count**: 300  
**Type**: Canon – takes place during final chapter 558 during Kagome's three year absence  
**Summary**: InuYasha contemplates his feelings.

* * *

**Barely Dawn**

InuYasha sat high in his favorite tree – not Goshinboku, but the dead, bare one from which he could watch the world around him. In the beginning he'd used it as a safe haven of sorts. Yes, he could be seen, but he could see anyone that approached from any direction. It was a spot for him to lightly doze out of reach of humans and most youkai. It was a sanctuary that helped insure he'd awaken the next morning.

Not long ago Kaede had asked him, _'When did you become so wise,'_ when he'd admitted that he left Kagome with her family and returned alone intentionally. He didn't know when it dawned on him that he had fallen in love with her - he just knew that he was. He knew that he needed her, but once Naraku had been defeated and after all that she had been through in the darkness alone, he realized that he needed her to be happy, too. Her family was so relieved upon her return that they all were crying, so he left her with them and went back to his era alone. It was the hardest thing he'd ever done.

It had also dawned on him during those last days of their battle that fate had intended for them to be together. He'd had the revelation, at least in his heart, that he was meant for her and she for him. At that point he'd actually shouted it to the youkai in the Shikon no Tama that wanted to keep her there. He wished he could have said those things to her.

It was the dawn of a new day. InuYasha jumped down to check the well once again. Maybe today would be the day she returned. He just had to have faith.


	30. Sinful Desire

**Disclaimers**: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi.

This was written for the iy_themes community at LiveJournal. The prompt was "Sin" and the limit was 250 words.

**Title: Sinful Desire  
****Rating**: T  
**Word Count**: 250  
**Type**: Canon; takes place during Chapter 558 shortly after Kagome's return  
**Summary**: InuYasha would like to have Kagome to himself

* * *

**Sinful Desire**

Even if the others were totally oblivious, InuYasha could tell Kagome was somewhat distressed. For that matter, so was he.

She'd returned a few hours ago, making him the happiest he'd been in years. But before he could take her in his arms and show her how much he'd missed her, all the others had shown up.

And they didn't seem to realize they'd worn out their welcome.

He saw Kagome glance at him again while Sango chattered nonstop and Shippou bounced up and down, vying for attention. Miroku at least was trying to keep the twins under control. Finally, unable to stand it a minute longer, he swooped the miko off her feet and ran.

"I wondered how long it would take him," Miroku commented as he grabbed the kitsune by the tail. "No, Shippou, you stay here if you want to keep your hide." Noticing the glare on Sango's face he added, "InuYasha has waited a long three years for her return. We need to respect their privacy. Let's go home."

The hanyou had not stopped until he had reached his favorite spot overlooking the valley. He set Kagome down, unsure of her reaction now that they were finally together.

"Is it a sin that I wanted to be alone with you?" she asked. "They're my friends, but… my heart opened the well to bring me to _you_."

"I…" he choked, unable to find the words. Instead he drew her into his arms and hesitantly, he kissed her.


End file.
